Higher education system – analysis, problems, challenges, and solutions

Abstract

The article examines the challenges facing the higher education system and explores strategies for addressing them. Globalization, rapid technological progress, and the evolving labor market have created multifaceted and increasingly complex pressures on education. Over recent decades, Georgia has pursued extensive modernization in higher education, aiming to strengthen and improve overall system performance. These efforts include comprehensive reforms, the adoption of international standards, and active participation in the Bologna Process. The study’s primary objective is to enhance the quality, competitiveness, and accessibility of higher education through systemic, evidence-based transformations, grounded in a critical assessment of ongoing developments. Higher education plays a decisive role in shaping the country’s economic and social advancement. The paper evaluates the current state of Georgia’s higher education system. As of 2025, 63 institutions operate nationwide, with 69.8% in the private sector and 30.2% in the public sector. A significant concentration exists in Tbilisi, where 64% of all institutions are located, underscoring the capital’s central role in the national educational infrastructure. Student distribution shows that 57.7% are enrolled in public universities, while 42.3% study in private institutions. Overall enrollment continues to rise, reflecting growing demand for higher education. In 2025, student numbers increased by 21.3% compared to the 2018–2019 academic year. Enrollment is particularly high in social sciences, business, and law, which together account for 47.6% of total students. Conversely, doctoral enrollment is declining, suggesting waning interest in advanced research-oriented programs. In the 2024–2025 academic year, 54,200 students enrolled in bachelor’s programs – 30,500 in public institutions and 23,700 in private ones. Compared to 2019–2020, new admissions rose by 12.5%. Enrollment remains concentrated in social sciences, business, and law, which together represent 45.3% of admissions. Within this group, business and management dominate with 46.3%, while social sciences and law are nearly balanced at 24.8% and 24.9%, respectively. Graduation rates also show growth: in 2024, the number of graduates increased by 12.4% compared to 2023. Academic staffing data from 2024–2025 reveal that 43.5% of faculty positions (professors, associate professors, assistant professors, and teachers) are in public institutions, while 56.5% are in private ones. This distribution contrasts with the institutional landscape, where nearly 70% of institutions are private. The lower concentration of faculty in private universities likely reflects their smaller student populations. Over the past decade, Georgia has intensified efforts to integrate into the global educational space, expanding international partnerships, exchange programs, double- degree initiatives, and alignment with EU frameworks. In 2024, the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement issued positive recommendations on 20,156 documents related to recognition and reformatting services, covering both Georgian and foreign qualifications. International student mobility also grew significantly, with incoming students increasing 2.4 times in 2024. This trend highlights Georgia’s rising global attractiveness. However, despite these gains, international integration remains limited, with collaborations often formal and superficial, lacking sustainable impact on institutional development and academic quality. The analysis identifies persistent challenges that hinder quality improvement and alignment with labor market needs. Labor market surveys highlight three key competencies in demand: theoretical knowledge, research skills, and transferable skills. Employer data show that 44.4% rated graduates’ qualifications at 3 out of 5. Among graduates, strengths most frequently highlighted were their solid theoretical knowledge and research skills. Research conducted at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) indicates that the institution largely met expectations regarding graduate employment outcomes. Nonetheless, several areas for improvement were identified: expanding career support and counseling services, strengthening engagement with potential employers, increasing opportunities for internships, incorporating more practical components into curricula, and diversifying program offerings. The study concludes with a set of recommendations. Georgia’s liberalization of education and openness to private initiatives have encouraged the establishment of new universities. However, this quantitative expansion has not been accompanied by a corresponding improvement in quality, making educational standards a pressing challenge for both public and private institutions. Current reforms face significant obstacles, yet overcoming them is essential to ensure that graduates acquire modern knowledge and become highly qualified professionals. Key issues include faculty competence and workload, outdated curricula, insufficient integration of research, accreditation processes that often remain overly formal, and inadequacies in infrastructure and technological resources. To address these challenges, several strategic measures are recommended: the introduction of clearly defined, content-based accreditation criteria; stronger emphasis on transferable skills and practical competencies; closer alignment of academic programs with labor market needs; retraining and recruitment of faculty in high-demand fields; deeper collaboration with international partners; implementation of double-degree programs; and the development of effective employment support services.