The Institute completed research on Higher Education Quality for Working Students at State Institutions. The project was financed by East-West Management Institute.  Research report attached

The Institute conducted analyses on teacher policies in Georgia. The research report was prepared as part of the wider project of the Network of Education Policy Centers (NEPC) envisaging development of the  comparative study on teacher policies in its member countries: the new Member States of the EU, Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership countries and Central Asia and Mongolia.

Research report attached

Within the framework of the project “Strategic Development of High Education and Research in Georgia- Reform Supporting Platform Creation” EPPM in cooperation with partner organizations conducted the policy analyses on the state of Higher Education and research in the country according to five strategic directions.

Research report

• HE and Employment -Tamar Bregvadze
• Integration of Teaching and Research – Lali Bakradze
• University Authonomy and Academic Freedom – Tamar Zaalishvili
• Funding Research and HE Financial Governance – Lela Chakhaia
• HE Quality Assurance -Irine Darchia

From June 2013 the International Institute for Education Policy, Planning and Management started the implementation of the project “Strategic Development of High Education and Research in Georgia- Reform Supporting Platform Creation” that aims at creating the evidence based comprehensive strategy for development of higher education and research in Georgia through participation and consensus of all stakeholders and target groups interested in Georgian higher education.

The following organizations are involved in the implementation of the project:

• Center for Social Sciences (CSS);
• Tempus National Office
• Center for International Education (CIE)
• Academic Fellowship Program, OSF

These organizations constitute Project Coordination Board.

Project financed by the Open Society – Georgia Foundation (OSGF)

On 27th of October, 2012, in Khashuri the final conference of the project “Introducing the Model of Community Mobilization around Environmental Issues in Georgia” was organized. The representatives from the Institute, schools, local authorities and project partner organizations participated in the event. During the conference project results have been summarized and the mechanisms for sustainability discussed This project is financially supported by the Matra Programme of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Starting from October 2012 the International Institute for Education Policy, Planning and Management is implementing new project and will try to identify the impact of high education on work force formation and development in the country.

The overall purpose and specific objectives

The overall purpose of the project is to broaden existed knowledge on impact of higher education on employment trends in Georgia  in the context of recent reform of HE sector and to formulate policy options for improving the linkage between HE and employment market.

Specific objectives of the project are to:

1. a)            Examine the strength of relationship between HE and employment and assess current policy on integration of  the graduates  of the reformed system of HE on job market;

The particular tasks in the frames of the first specific objective is to:

• Describe current employment trends among the cohort of population that went through HE system in Georgia since 2004 (employed in  the field of specialization, employed in fields, not employed);
• Study employment opportunities in the mentioned cohort by gender, social and economic status;
• Calculate overall return to education by different fields of specialization (measure relationship  between the investment to HE  and income);
• Measure impact of education (compared to other factors) on employment;
• Study perceptions of society on overall quality of HE and its influence on employment opportunities.

1. b) Elaborate policy options and recommendations based on research results to improve job force creation and utilization in Georgia;
2. c) Mobilize support for elaborated policy options through awareness-rising and advocacy campaigns.

The rational

Lack of employment or income-earning opportunities is consistently highlighted as the number one concern in Georgia, as repeatedly demonstrated by independently run public opinion polls over the past years. In the latest poll of June 2012 conducted by the National Democracy Institute, 60% of respondents indicated employment as the most important issue in Georgia and 70% of them stated that they are unemployed.  Results coincide with findings of the public opinion poll conducted by G-PAC in Georgia in 2011, where 70% of respondents consider jobs as the most important policy issue and more than 60% of interviewed citizens think that NGOs should work more intensively on the issue.

Unemployment is currently in the core of policy operational agenda and political discourse. The issue is covered by pre-election programs of all main political parties and is reflected as a main theme in the action plan of the government of Georgia.  New ministry was established in the country a month ago to work exclusively on the problem.

Despite high priority attached to the issue, Georgia has not yet elaborated a detailed strategy to address the problem. Therefore the demand for accurate and reliable empirical data on current patterns of employment as well as on different factors influencing these patterns is very high at the moment.

Education in general and higher education in particular is considered as very important factor in shaping human capital.  Numerous studies are therefore devoted worldwide to calculate a return to education in different contexts. In other words, scientists and policy makers around the world are interested to understand how public and private investment in higher education contributes to the process of creation of qualified workforce and overall welfare of society?  The issue is not at all investigated in Georgia.

On the background of recent reforms in the higher education sector (initiated in 2004 in Georgia) the issue gains even greater importance as one of the main goals of HE reform is to align outputs of tertiary education to requirements of a job market.

The International Institute for Education Policy, Planning and Management completed the study on the readiness of professional schools to implement inclusive education elements. Research was conducted in the frames of the project “Inclusive Education Development in Schools in 9 Regions of Georgia” and was financed by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia.

The International Institute for Education Policy, Planning and Management, with the financial support of the Open Society Foundation Education Support Program completed the study on Education Access and Equity in Georgia.

Study Report 

The results of the research project “Examining of Private Tutoring Phenomenon in Georgia” were presented on January 26, 2012. Research was conducted with the financial support of the Policy, Advocacy, and Civil Society Development Program of the East-West Management institute.

The International Institute for Education Policy, Planning and Management, with the financial support of the Policy, Advocacy, and Civil Society Development Program of the East-West Management institute, implemented research project “Examining of Private Tutoring Phenomenon in Georgia”. In frames of the project practice of the private tutoring was analyzed and the results are presented in the research report.

Project Report