“State universities should accept foreign students only in strictly exceptional cases specified by law,” said Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze during the presentation of the government’s higher education reform, noting that this principle will be enshrined in legislation.
According to Kobakhidze, the primary mission of state universities is to serve national objectives and educate Georgian students, rather than operate with a commercial focus.
“As for the issue of foreign students in state universities, we believe that these institutions must be fully oriented toward fulfilling state priorities. Therefore, state universities should admit foreign students only in exceptional cases strictly defined by law. This rule will be established at the legislative level,” he stated.
Kobakhidze added that some public universities currently attract a disproportionate number of foreign students and are largely profit-driven — an approach he said belongs to the private sector.
“There are certain universities that operate primarily for profit, which is essentially a business matter, not a state function. We believe a clear distinction must be made: business activities belong to the private sector — private universities — while state universities should focus on fulfilling state missions,” he emphasized.
As for education duration, the Prime Minister announced that Georgia should transition to a 3+1 model in higher education — three years for a bachelor’s degree and one for a master’s — except for specific professional programs. He also stated that the general education system will move to an 11-year school curriculum.
