The Minister of Education, Science, and Youth of Georgia, Giorgi Amilakhvari, introduced the newly appointed rector, Giorgi Khubua, to the administration and academic staff of Kutaisi International University (KIU).
Minister Amilakhvari extended his best wishes to Rector Khubua for his success in furthering the university's development. He noted that Giorgi Khubua, with his constructive attitude and extensive experience, is well-equipped to transform KIU into a premier educational institution, not only in Georgia but throughout the entire region. The minister emphasized that the university already has a solid foundation to achieve this goal.
In turn, the newly appointed rector expressed his gratitude to the minister, the prime minister of Georgia, and the government for their trust and support. During the meeting, the minister and the rector presented the general vision for the university's development and current higher education reforms to the attendees.
Minister Giorgi Amilakhvari highlighted that Kutaisi International University is the largest educational project in the history of Georgia in terms of its concept, content, and scope. He thanked Bidzina Ivanishvili for his unprecedented charity. According to the minister, the idea of founding Kutaisi International University originated with Bidzina Ivanishvili and his family, with their international charity fund "Cartu" investing over one billion euros in the university's development.
The meeting was also attended by First Deputy Minister of Education, Science, and Youth Aleksandre Tsuladze, Deputy Minister Nodar Papukashvili, and State Representative in Imereti Zviad Shalamberidze.
Professor Giorgi Khubua, Doctor of Legal Sciences, has many years of experience in the academic field. He has served as the rector of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University and as director of the Institute of State and Law at the Georgian Academy of Sciences. He is the author of over 40 scholarly works, including seven monographs and one textbook.
Aside from Georgia, Giorgi Khubua has worked at higher educational institutions in Germany and Switzerland, including Steinbeis University in Berlin, Bamberg, Jena, Bern, Hanover, Munich, the Max Planck Institute, and the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer.
His role as president at Steinbeis University in Berlin is particularly noteworthy. Additionally, Giorgi Khubua served as the coordinator for Educational Policy and Administration and as the scientific head of the energy and geopolitics department at the Technical University of Munich.
Kutaisi International University (KIU), which welcomed its first cohort of students in the fall of 2020, currently has nearly 1,200 students. KIU collaborates with Europe’s leading institutions, including the Technical University of Munich (TUM International GmbH and TUM), and its Honorary President is Professor Wolfgang Herrmann, the former President of TUM.
