The international media publication The PIE NEWS, the source of news on global education, publishes the material about Kutaisi International University. University Chancellor Magda Magradze answers the questions of famous British journalist Callen Quinn.
See the interview with Magda Magradze:
In 2020, Kutaisi International University - the first state higher education institution in Georgia opened since the independence of Georgia – welcomed its first group of students to study the English-language education programs on an ultra-modern international campus. The PIE contacted the Chancellor of Kutaisi International University Magda Maghradze to find out about how the KIU aims to bring new opportunities to Georgia and its students.
The PIE: Kutaisi International University opened its doors to its first cohort of students in 2020. Can you tell us about how the university was set up and what its goals are?
Magda Maghradze: Kutaisi International University is founded by a private donor (philanthropist and former Prime Minister of Georgia) Bidzina Ivanishvili, who has been funding a lot of different projects and initiatives in Georgia. Mr. Ivanishvili’s International Charity Foundation "Cartu" has invested up to 1 billion Euros in the development and operation of KIU.
"All our programs are developed in collaboration with a leading international higher education institution"
One of the major challenges that Georgia faces currently is the mismatch between the demands of the labor market and supply of professionals and graduates by vocational and higher education institutions. The graduates of Georgian universities and vocational schools are usually unprepared for the labor market, and employers need to invest more into their professional development in order to build the adequate workforce. Therefore, one of the goals of KIU is to bring international-standard educational programs to Georgia, which will be developed in partnership with foreign organizations, universities and research centers.
Our strategic partner is the Technical University of Munich (TUM). We are also expanding our collaborations with other universities and research centers around the world. Our goal is to ensure high quality educational programs developed in partnership with a leading international higher education institutions or organizations.
The PIE: How did you get involved in KIU?
MM: I have been working in the field of education since I graduated high school in the US in 1995. Since my return to Georgia I have worked at various educational projects - at the World Bank, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the US Embassy, the Open Society Foundation and others.
Just recently (during 2013-2019), I managed a $140 million project, the US Government Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact II in Georgia, with a focus on engineering and natural sciences (STEM) education and workforce development in the country. We have implemented many projects, in general, vocational or higher education. Among them, we were able to bring one of the leading US higher education institutions - San Diego State University to Georgia. It is for the first time that an American university offers its US accredited undergraduate programs in my country.
In addition to working at Kutaisi International University, I continue to manage the Millennium Foundation to ensure the sustainability of the investments made within the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact II.
The PIE: What is the higher education landscape in Georgia at the moment?
MM: Currently we have over 60 higher education institutions in Georgia. The market is quite saturated; however, we do not have a sufficient number of English-language educational programs required by the labor market. Also, very few programs have international accreditation and programs developed in partnership with leading international universities, such as the one we have at KIU.
KIU programs are coordinated with the International Advisory Board, consisting of leading scientists from around the world. This ensures the quality and internationalization of our programs.
The PIE: Why is KIU focused on English-language programs?
MM: The KIU focuses on English language instruction for two reasons: first - to ensure that our graduates are internationally competitive by having acquired education in English, and second - to offer educational programs designed in partnership with both international higher education institutions and research organizations, in addition, to attract leading foreign scientists and academic staff to research and teach at KIU.
The PIE: Tell us a little bit about the new campus. What makes it "international" compared to other higher education institutions in the region?
MM: The first and foremost goal that we have is to create a truly international university with an attractive campus. KIU is the only university in Georgia and the South Caucasus region that offers a campus with dormitories and all other well-appointed facilities.
Until now, one of the major weaknesses that Georgia had for attracting international students was the lack of dormitories and university campus in the country. International students that currently study in Georgia mainly rent apartments, as majority of the higher education institutions are located in big cities.
Inquiries from international students show that majority of them would prefer to experience a campus life rather than living separately in rented apartments, scattered throughout the city. KIU offers the campus and student life experience that is incomparable to any other higher education institutions in the region. It is spread out on 150 hectares of land, surrounded by a forest and is 10-minute drive from the center of Kutaisi, which is the third largest city in Georgia.
"From 2021 we will start attracting international students and we hope to increase the number of KIU students gradually"
Living on KIU campus means that students can enjoy studying and living on campus, as well as can travel to nearby destinations on weekends. There is no other experience in Georgia where you enter the campus and have all the amenities in one place. Our campus is located in a beautiful oak forest, where students can enjoy leisure, walking and various activities.
The PIE: Is KIU planning to recruit international students?
Mm: In 2020, due to the pandemic, we focused less on recruitment of international students. From 2021 we are recruiting international students and we hope to increase the numbers gradually. Georgia and KIU can offer a lot. Georgia cordially hosts foreign guests (in 2019, Georgia has welcomed over 5 million tourists).
As a guest, you can get a very good cultural experience in Georgia. Some countries of the world are already familiar with Georgia and enjoy coming here (especially visitors from the former Soviet Union and other countries).
Georgia has many students already from Southeast Asia, India, and mostly English-speaking African countries. There are about 9000 (international) students in the country every year. Georgia has become a destination for students, especially in the field of medicine.
We think that international students from the countries that are already familiar with Georgia will use the opportunity to study at KIU.
The PIE: You mentioned the expansion of collaboration with international organizations; what collaborations do you have at the moment?
MM: Currently, we offer three bachelor’s degree programs (Computer Science, Management and Mathematics). These three programs are developed in line with the models of Technical University of Munich.
The German academic staff teaches these three programs together with their Georgian colleagues, the majority of whom have received education or carried out the research abroad.
In addition, we have a long-term partnership with the British Council, which provides English language training for our students and staff. We are also working with various European and American universities to develop and offer new educational programs after 2021.
