Tbilisi State University

Tbilisi State University building backside in 1918

Tbilisi State University was founded in 1918 owing to the leadership of Georgian historian Ivane Javakhishvili and the group of his followers. It was the first and the only educational body of this type in Caucasus Region by that time.[5] The university is housed in the former building of Georgian Nobility Gymnasium constructed by the architect Simon Kldiashvili from 1899 to 1906.

Georgia has a tradition of education, as evidenced by the functioning of the School of Philosophy and Rhetoric of Phazisi in Colchis (4th century); as well as the setting up of cultural-enlightenment centers in Palestine (5th century), Syria (6th century), Greece (10th–15th centuries) and Bulgaria (11th century); Gelati and Iqalto Academies in Georgia (11th–12th centuries); However, as a result of political-economic decrease and at last becoming the colony of Russia, there had been no national higher educational Institution in Georgia for the next few centuries.[6]

Founder Ivane Javakhishvili

Collector Coin Dedicated to the 100th Anniversary of the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University

After Georgia became independent and declared itself a national democratic state, one of the first achievements of the Georgian people at the beginning of the 20th century was the foundation of the Georgian National University in Tbilisi. Afterwards, through the Bolshevik and Communist period, in spite of the forced ideology and fierce censorship, Tbilisi State University maintained schools in mathematics, psychology, philosophy, linguistics, and historiography. The foundation of the Academy of Science of Georgia and other higher educational institutions was encouraged by the university.

The university was opened on 26 January 1918, the day of remembrance of the Georgian King David the Builder. A church in the University garden, named after the King, has been functioning since 5 September 1995. In 1989 the university was named after its founder - Ivane Javakhishvili.

Petre Melikishvili, a chemist and professor, was elected as the first rector of the university. At its commencement, the university had one faculty - that of philosophy. Ivane Javakhishvili, a Georgian historian, delivered the first lecture. At the beginning of 1918 the board of professors and lecturers numbered 18, the student body of the university counted 369 students and 89 free listeners.

Today the number of professors involved in tuition and training amounts to 3275, including 55 academicians and corresponding member of the academy, 595 professors and doctors, 1246 assistant professors and candidates of sciences.

Over 35 thousand students are studying at the University and its eight regional branches. Important changes at the university began on 25 April 1994, when the scientific council of the University adopted "The Concepts of University Education"page3-5, according to which since the year 1994 the university has transferred to the two-stage form of study (the step-by-step rearrangements were launched in 1992).

At the end of the I stage of the reform implemented, at the beginning of 2005, the bodies functioning at TSU were: 22 faculties with 184 chairs, 8 branches with 46 faculties, 3 scientific-research and study-scientific institutes, 81 scientific-research laboratories and centers, 161 study laboratories and rooms, clinical hospitals and diagnostic centers, publishing and editorial houses, the library with 3,650,000 items, 5 dormitories. 95 educational programs were used at the bachelor's course, 194 at master's studies, and 16 at the single-step tuition. Schools that came into being at Tbilisi University were:

• Mathematics (Andrea Razmadze for whom the department was renamed in 1944, Nikoloz Muskhelishvili, Ilia Vekua, Viktor Kupradze, Andro Bitsadze and others),
• Physics (Elephter Andronikashvili, for whom the Institute was renamed in 1999, Mate Mirianashvili, Vagan Mamasakhlisov, Givi Khutsishvili Albert Tavkhelidze and others),
• Psychology (Dimitri Uznadze and others),
• Physiology (Ivane Beritashvili and others).
• National Scholarly Schools of Georgian Historiography (Ivane Javakhishvili and others),
• History of Literature (Korneli Kekelidze and others),
• Georgian Philosophy (Shalva Nutsubidze and others),
• Art Studies (Giorgi Chubinashvili and others),
• Georgian and Caucasian Linguistics (Akaki Shanidze, Giorgi Akhvlediani, Arnold Chikobava and others),
• Oriental and Classical Philology (Grigol Tsereteli, Simon Qaukhchishvili, Giorgi Tsereteli and others).
• Kartvelology (Kartvelian Studies)

The chairs and scientific research departments serve for preparation of postgraduate students and scientific degrees. 26 qualification councils operate for conferring scientific degrees in almost all fields of science.

Medical education was restored at the university in 1994. Originally the specialty of medicine was opened at the faculty of biology and medicine, and the faculty of medicine became an independent unit in 2000. A center for the Management of Health Care and the Department for Continuous Medical Education were opened, and the board of trustees of medicine and medical information service were founded. The university diagnostic center provides the health care of the professors and lecturers and collaborators of the University.

First Rector Prof. Petre Melikishvili

A printing press was set up in 1923 and a publishing-house in 1933. The University Archive was founded in 1933. The scientific edition "The Proceedings of Tbilisi University" has been publishedisince 1919. The program Textbooks for Students has been functioning since 1996. The University publishes two weekly newspapers "Tbilisis Universiteti" (since 1927) and "Kartuli Universiteti" (since 1998).

International conferences and symposia have been held at Tbilisi University such as International symposia of psychologists (1979, 1986), symposia on Georgian art (II-1977, IV- 1983, VI- 1989), international symposia on the teaching of the Russian language and literature (1980, 1984, 1988), problems of German literature (1983, 1989), Classical philology (1969, 1975, 1980,1990, 1995, 1996), religion and ethics (1907, international private law (1985), international symposia on Kartvelian Studies (I-1987, II-1988, III-1995).

Caucasian studies is one of the major trends of scholarly research. "Caucasica", an international scholarly journal, has been published since 1998.

International conferences dedicated to major problems of the present day have been held at the University: "Caucasus, problems of democratization" (1995), "The law reform in Georgia" (1995), "The University reform in Georgia" (1995), "Hellenistic Studies over the centuries" (2000). Summer schools are held for foreign scientists in Kartvelian studies (Kartvelologists).

TSU has seven faculties:

• Exact and Natural Sciences – departments include: mathematics, physics, chemistry, geography, computer sciences, biology, geology, electric and electronic engineering[7]
• Humanities[8]
• Social and Political Sciences – departments include: Political Science, Journalism, International Relations, Human Geography, Sociology and Social Work.[9]
• Psychology and Educational Sciences – formed in 2014[10]
• Economics and Business – established in 1931[11]
• Law[12]
• Medicine – extablished in 1918

TSU has no central campus, its buildings are spread over the city. The oldest building is #1 where the administration of the university is seated. In the yard of the 1st TSU campus lie the founders of Tbilisi State University, whose names imply establishment and development of various scientific schools in Georgia. The Pantheon of Tbilisi State University is one of the special cultural and historical places.[13]

Georgian historian, archaeologist and public benefactor Prof. Ekvtime Takaishvili, one of the founders and a professor of TSU

The university has contacts with foreign scientific and educational centres:

RWTH Aachen University, University of Saarland and Jena University (Germany), Emory University and Georgia State University (USA), Saint Mary's University (Canada), Warsaw University and University of Łódź (Poland), University of Málaga and University of Salamanca (Spain), Nantes, Paris 8, Paris 13, Grenoble and Toulon Universities (France), Bristol Polytechnical Institute, Brunel and London Universities (Great Britain), Budapest Eötvös Loránd University (Hungary), Bilkent, Trabzon Black Sea and Ankara Universities (Turkey), Palermo, Rome and Sapienza, Piza and Venice Universities (Italy), Athens, Pirueus, Ioanina and Saloniki Universities (Greece), International Centre of Nuclear Physics, Aarhus University (Denmark), Bucharest University (Romania), University of Vienna (Austria), Tehran and Gilan Universities (Iran), Cairo University (Egypt). TSU has relations with Association of European Universities, UNESCO, the Council of Europe and other international organizations.[6]

• Petre Melikishvili - 1918/I - 1919/XII
• Ivane Javakhishvili - 1919/XII -1926/VI
• Tedo Ghlonti - 1926/IX - 1928/IX
• Malakia Toroshelidze - 1928/IX - 1930/IX
• Ivane Vashakmadze - 1930/I - 1931/IX
• Aleksandre Erkomaishvili - 1931/X - 1932/XII
• Levan Agniashvili - 1933/IV - 1935/VI
• Karlo Oragvelidze - 1935/VI - 1937/VI
• Giorgi Kiknadze - 1937/VII - 1938/IX
• Davit Kipshidze - 1938/X - 1942/II
• Aleksandre Janelidze - 1942/II - 1945/VII
• Nikoloz Ketskhoveli - 1945/VII - 1953/VI
• Ilia Vekua - 1953/VII - 1953/IX, 1966/IV - 1972/IV
• Ermile Burchuladze - 1953/IX - 1954/IX
• Victor Kupradze - 1954/IX - 1958/III
• Giorgi Dzotsenidze - 1958/IV - 1959/III
• Evgeni Kharadze - 1959/III - 1966/III
• Davit Chkhikvishvili - 1972/V - 1980/II
• Vazha Okujava - 1980/III - 1985/IX
• Nodar Amaghlobeli - 1985/IX - 1991/VIII
• Tamaz Gamkrelidze - 1991/VIII - 1991/IX
• Otar Japaridze - 1991/IX - 1991/X
• Roin Metreveli - 1991/X - 2004/X
• Rusudan Lortkipanidze - 2004/XII-2006/IV
• Giorgi Khubua - 2006/IV - 2010/VIII
• Alexander Kvitashvili - 2010/VIII - 2013/VII
• Vladimer Papava - 2013/VII - 2016/III
• Darejan Tvaltvadze (acting) - 2016/IV - 2016/IX
• Giorgi Sharvashidze - 2016/IX - 2022/X
• Jaba Samushia - (Acting Rector) 2022/X - 2022/XII) — Rector 2022/XII-

• List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945).

• Official website