The role of financing by international donor organizations in the globalization of Georgian higher education (საერთაშორისო დონორი ორგანიზაციების დაფინანსების როლი საქართველოს უმაღლესი განათლების გლობალიზაციაში)

Abstract

Education is no longer viewed as critical only to the economic and social development of a country – in a globalized world, its impact extends to the international arena. International aid agencies, therefore, have a stake in ensuring that developing countries take the necessary steps to provide education to their citizens. Donors can support efforts by developing countries to reduce such obstacles as regulatory and administrative barriers, fees and financial requirements, corruption in public administration, socio-cultural attitudes and lack of key business services. In general, the patterns of international financial assistance to Georgia demonstrate the coherence with the major reform priorities of the country, Improving the quality of education and vocational training remains key to increasing the skills of the labor force and raising potential output in the medium term. Georgia is currently implementing the Unified Strategy of Education and Science (2017-2021) and the Strategy of Vocational Education and Training (2013-2020). The strategies are based on the principle of lifelong learning and aim at achieving a high level of accessibility and quality of education at all levels. The Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, with the support of the development partners, started actively working on the unified strategy and action plan for education and science for 2022-2032 that also includes the new TVET strategy (2021-2025). The unified strategy for 2022-2032 will be the main policy document of the Ministry, which will cover all areas of the education system: pre-school education, general, vocational and higher education, adult education and science. Donors should provide technical assistance and capacity building targeted at supporting the formulation of competition policy and strengthening institutions responsible for enforcing competition law. A great deal of hard work on the part of donors and governments has gone into the development of the education sector plans. In this context, the government needs to take charge of the development agenda to utilize donor support strategically. This article traces the role donors have played in the development of national education policies and reform agendas over the decades. It also identifies key turning points at the national and international levels that have led to the introduction of new initiatives or a change in the direction of donor support.