“The institutional foundation of free thinking, logic, discussion, and freedom of opinion is collapsing, which undermines one of the university’s central functions,” says psychologist Marina Chitashvili about the ruling party’s higher education concept. She adds that the concept is in absolute conflict with both institutional and individual expectations regarding education and “destroys hope that you can achieve your goals.”
Chitashvili highlights four key areas that the concept fundamentally changes. First, it undermines the institutional independence of higher education, conflicting with university autonomy and academic freedom. Second, it changes the institutional structure, reducing compatibility with the international educational space, meaning degrees might not be recognized in Bologna Process countries or globally.
Third, it enforces a market-oriented approach, which Chitashvili argues cannot fully satisfy universities’ traditional educational functions of knowledge transfer, accumulation, and creation, as purely market-focused programs serve immediate business needs rather than broader intellectual development.
Finally, the law introduces a manipulable system, requiring government approval for all curricula. “Objective observers” can block lecturers who introduce critical thinking or innovation, as illustrated by the dismissal of Ivane Javakhishvili University faculty. Students, she warns, could become enforcers of this system to secure high grades, further restricting academic freedom.
