The third edition of the RiHEI Project Newsletter
Your comprehensive guide to the transformation of Georgian higher education. This newsletter serves as a bridge between our stakeholders and the pioneering initiatives shaping the future of education in Georgia. RiHEI Project stands for Responsible and Impactful Universities as Sustainable Growth and Enterprise Catalysts in Georgia.
The general aim of RiHEI is to transform the Georgian HEI ecosystem into an engine of sustainable and responsible (socially and environmentally) growth for enterprise and job creation by investing in the capabilities of youth and strengthening the connection between education, research, and innovation with private sector needs.
This edition shifts the project's focus towards the deep structural and cultural reforms required to modernise Georgian HEIs, presenting four substantive thematic areas as key conceptual and operational outputs of the project.
Modernising university governance is addressed through three essential institutional pillars — Technology Scouting Networks, Technology Transfer Centres, and Technology Incubators — identified as prerequisites for bridging the gap between scientific discovery and economic application.
The transition towards an entrepreneurial organisation is further supported by two EU instruments: HEInnovate, a self-reflection tool enabling institutions to assess their innovative potential, institutional culture, and knowledge exchange mechanisms; and EntreComp (Entrepreneurship Competence Framework), which defines entrepreneurship as a transferable mindset through 15 core competencies across three areas — "Ideas and Opportunities," "Resources," and "Into Action."
The Pedagogical Startup concept further operationalises this mindset by using student ventures as a teaching tool for developing professional resilience.
The Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) framework is presented through six policy keys — Public Engagement, Gender Equality, Science Education, Open Access, Ethics, and Governance — emphasising that science should be socially desirable and conducted in the public interest.
Finally, the Regional Innovation Impact Assessment (RIIA) tool is introduced as a framework for measuring institutional reform across three dimensions: Regional Growth, Sustainability, and Accountability.
The transformation of Georgian HEIs is recognised as an ambitious yet essential process, with partner universities in Tbilisi, Kutaisi, and Gori positioning themselves as leaders in the Black Sea region through the strategic adoption of the RRI framework and EU instruments such as HEInnovate and EntreComp.
