Free University of Tbilisi

Coordinates: 41°48′21″N 44°45′57″E / 41.8057275°N 44.7657262°E / 41.8057275; 44.7657262
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Free University of Tbilisi
თავისუფალი უნივერსიტეტი
Georgia
CampusKakha Bendukidze University Campus, David Aghmashenebeli Alley № 240
Director of the Knowledge FundAnastasia Bendukidze
Colors   
Websitefreeuni.edu.ge/en

Free University (

Georgia, founded by Kakha Bendukidze, Georgian statesman, businessman and philanthropist often regarded as the Man Who Remade Georgia.[1] Founded in 2007, the university has grown to comprise seven undergraduate and graduate
schools, among which are, the university's oldest, School of International Relations, School of Business, Architecture, Governance and Social Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Law, and School of Visual Arts and Design.

The main goal of Kakha Bendukidze, FreeUni's founder, was to provide opportunities for a quality education to every motivated person in Georgia, regardless of his or her financial conditions. Benudkidze believed that clarity of purpose and the future were essential to any human endeavour.[2]

The Free University is organized into 7 constituent schools: the university's oldest, International Relations (Institute of Asia and Africa), School of Business, Law, Physics, Computer Sciences and Math, Visual Arts and Design, Governance and Social Sciences. While the Free University is governed by a combination of its Board of Overseers and the

Knowledge Foundation, each school's faculty oversees its curriculum and degree programs. In addition to a central campus shared with Agricultural University of Georgia in downtown Tbilisi
, the University owns facilities all around Georgia, including Anaseuli Education Center.

The current Rector of The Free University is Vakhtang Lezhava.[3] There are 56 full-time and 84 part-time lecturers. 44 hold PhDs; 25 are PhD students. The programs are run on a daily basis by deans and academic coordinators.[4]

Kakha Bendukidze

Kakha Bendukidze.

The Free University was founded by

Knowledge Foundation
and head of the united supervisory board of Agricultural and Free Universities.

A biologist by education, Bendukidze started his own business, Bioprocess, which manufactured biochemicals for scientific research in 1987. Soon he became known as one of Russia’s leading

libertarians. He led a working group on tax and currency within the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and pressed for changes in tax policy, which ultimately included adoption of a flat 13 percent tax rate. In Russia, he was a strong opponent of government intervention in the economy, a view that put him at odds with President Vladimir Putin. Soon Bendukidze sold his stake and moved back to Georgia.[5]

After the

Government of Georgia (February 2008 – February 2009) and was the author of liberal reforms that overhauled Georgia’s post-Soviet economy.[7]

The appointment of Bendukidze and his service as the Minister of Economics gave Georgia a yearly 9.3%

labour market. These liberal steps were what led to the formation of the previously almost non-existent middle class.[6]

He created a charity called the

Knowledge Foundation, and he was the force behind the establishment of the Free University of Tbilisi and the Agricultural University of Georgia.[5]

Faculties

Library of the university.

The School of

International Relations - the oldest School at the University - began as the Institute of Asia and Africa in 1991 and retains a special emphasis on cultures and politics. In the past, that has meant extensive offerings on the cultures and languages of the Near, Middle East, and Far East. Now the program also offers European and the US studies.[8]

The program in international relations prepares students for careers in

political theory, law, and economics. The curriculum provides knowledge in literature, culture, religion and history with a choice of specialization in one language.[8]

The Business School began as the independent European School of Management and for more than 20 years has been the leader of business education in Georgia. The program includes a rich variety of courses at both undergraduate and graduate (MA) levels, such as: management, marketing, accounting and finance, business studies, operations management, business in action, etc. The principal defining feature of the program is teaching business in action. This ensures breadth and generality and encourages flexibility, creativity, and entrepreneurship.[9]

The Computer Science and Mathematics (MACS) program offers a bachelor's degree with two concentrations, one in mathematics and the other on computer science. Students choose one of the concentrations to better focus their education in that particular direction. The MACS program has the highest-performing students in Georgia according to their performance on the Georgian Unified National Examinations. For example, the top seven scorers on the 2014 Exam are currently enrolled in the MACS program.[10]

The undergraduate program in

Social Sciences offers liberal arts education covering the social sciences and humanities. Students gain knowledge in the fields of philosophy, anthropology, sociology, psychology, history, art, and literature. A top priority is to encourage independent thought and critical analysis. Students work closely with classic texts and engage in heated discussions and debates, engage in studies in different fields. Additionally, students take courses in business, economy, law, and project management to further prepare them for career development and future leadership in government, commercial and non-government organizations, and the media.[11]

The four-year undergraduate program in Physics provides a solid foundation leading to a B.S. degree in Physics. The program exposes students to both traditional and cutting-edge areas of physics:

condensed-matter physics, and particle physics. The degree provides a sound basis either for entering graduate school or for pursuing a variety of careers in various sectors.[12]

References

  1. ^ "The Man Who Remade Georgia". The New Yorker. November 28, 2014.
  2. ^ "'About Us' of The Free University of Tbilisi". The Free University of Tbilisi. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Faculty page of The Free University of Tbilisi". The Free University of Tbilisi. Retrieved 2 October 2011.
  4. ^ "University Today". Archived from the original on 2015-02-26. Retrieved 2015-01-15.
  5. ^ a b Herszenhorn, David M. "Kakha Bendukidze Dies at 58; Pushed Post-Soviet Market Change". nytimes.com. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Famous Reformist Kakha Bendukidze Dies at 58". tabula.ge. Tabula, 2009–2014.
  7. ^ "Obituaries". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 17 November 2014. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  8. ^ a b "'International Relations' of The Free University of Tbilisi". The Free University of Tbilisi. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  9. ^ "'ESM' of The Free University of Tbilisi". The Free University of Tbilisi. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  10. ^ "'Mathematics and Computer Sciences' of The Free University of Tbilisi". The Free University of Tbilisi. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  11. ^ "'Governance and Social Sciences' of The Free University of Tbilisi". The Free University of Tbilisi. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.
  12. ^ "'Physics' of The Free University of Tbilisi". The Free University of Tbilisi. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2015.

External links

41°48′21″N 44°45′57″E / 41.8057275°N 44.7657262°E / 41.8057275; 44.7657262