Georgia will establish two major university centers in Tbilisi and Kutaisi, where universities will jointly offer higher education across all specialties, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced during the presentation of the government’s education reform.
According to Kobakhidze, the transformation of Kutaisi into a full-fledged university city will serve as the best response to the challenges of overconcentration in the country’s higher education system.
“Since overconcentration was identified as a challenge, our concept must focus on the geographical deconcentration of higher education,” the Prime Minister said. “Along with Tbilisi, the second main university hub should be created in Kutaisi — a city that holds special significance for our country.”
Kobakhidze highlighted Kutaisi’s historic role as an industrial center during the Soviet period, noting that the city lost its industrial function in the 1990s and failed to develop a new one. He said the government envisions reviving Kutaisi’s prominence by turning it into a vibrant academic city — a continuation of Georgia’s rich educational tradition connected to the Gelati Academy.
“We believe that transforming Kutaisi into a full-fledged university city will be the best answer to the challenges faced by both the city and the education system as a whole,” Kobakhidze stated.
Under the reform plan, Tbilisi and Kutaisi will host universities offering programs in all key disciplines, including humanities, natural and exact sciences, technology, law, social and political sciences, foreign languages, pedagogy, and medicine.
The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of strengthening regional universities in Batumi, Zugdidi, Akhaltsikhe, Gori, and Telavi, with a special focus on agriculture and pedagogy. This will require infrastructure development and state investment to enhance institutional capacity.
Kobakhidze added that Tbilisi will continue to host arts and sports universities and theological seminaries, noting that “there is much room for improvement in these areas, and they also remain a focus of our education reform concept.”
