The role of internationalization of higher education for country’s economic development (უმაღლესი განათლების ინტერნაციონალიზაციის როლი ქვეყნის ეკონომიკის განვითარებისთვის)
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Press
Abstract
The country of Georgia is a newly emerged democracy located in a
geopolitically important Caucasus region. Since Georgia regained independence
in 1991, it has been struggling with political and economic challenges. Poverty and
unemployment have been one of the major challenges that the Governments of Georgia have been facing since independence. Recent developments have made
it clear to the Government and people of Georgia, that education is the key to
country’s economic growth and development.
The Government of Georgia’s new social-economic development strategy
“Georgia 2020” as well as a four-pillar strategic development plan and reform
agenda declare education as country’s major priority. It is believed that high
quality education will yield in raising professionals who will help the country
develop through attraction of investments, creation of new businesses and
support of industry.
Workforce in Georgia does not meet the industry and labor market demands
and is not prepared for the job market. This constraint has been studied by
various scholars and organizations in Georgia and various solutions have been
proposed, one of which is internationalization of higher education and creation
of partnerships with leading European and U.S. universities to bring their highquality
programs or branch campuses to Georgia.
The article reviews the effects of higher education internationalization on
economic growth on the example of two university models and partnerships
that recently emerged in Georgia. Namely, partnership between the U.S. San
Diego State University and Georgian partner universities and the new Kutaisi
International University. These two examples have been studied and reviewed
as fine examples of how university partnerships lead to internationalization of
higher education that can contribute to economic growth, and poverty reduction
through human capital development and could be great alternatives of Western
university branch campuses in emerging economies and low to medium low
income level countries like Georgia.
Description
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Keywords
Internationalization of higher education, university partnerships, San Diego State University-Georgia, Kutaisi State University, international branch campus, human capital development for economic growth
Citation
Economics and Business, №4, 2021, pp. 212-231