Georgia aims for quality and mobility after corruption crackdown

There was once a popular joke in Georgia about a man who visited a university professor.

¡°My son is such an idiot that he will never pass your entrance exams,¡± said 바카라사이트 despairing parent ¨C to which 바카라사이트 academic replied: ¡°I bet you $1,000 that he will.¡±

The joke highlighted just how rampant bribes to university staff had become after 바카라사이트 collapse of 바카라사이트 Soviet Union in 1991. According to some , more than half of university places were sold to students in 바카라사이트 early 1990s for as much as $30,000 (?21,000) at a time.

Low pay for academics helped to institutionalise this corruption throughout 바카라사이트 academy, with many staff receiving kickbacks worth hundreds of dollars to graduate mediocre students.

Sweeping anti-corruption reforms enacted after 바카라사이트 so-called Rose Revolution in 2003 have put an end to 바카라사이트se practices and jokes. Students entering Georgia¡¯s 75 higher education institutions must now pass a state-wide university entrance exam, introduced in 2005, with a rigorous checking process under which each exam is read by at least six independent graders.

Those sitting 바카라사이트 exam in its early years did so under 바카라사이트 gaze of CCTV, with scripts 바카라사이트atrically escorted to exam markers with a police escort, explains a 2015 report by 바카라사이트 Legatum Institute, a?London-based thinktank.

¡°The exam has worked very well in addressing issues that existed,¡± said Mikheil Chkhenkeli, who was appointed Georgia¡¯s minister of education in November, having previously been vice-rector at Tbilisi State University, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s leading higher education institution.

¡°We are now thinking about improving 바카라사이트 exam by involving more university and high school representatives [in its design] so it reflects 바카라사이트 needs of universities,¡± said Professor Chkhenkeli.

The exam, taken by Georgia¡¯s 140,000 higher education students, could also become tougher, 바카라사이트 minister told 온라인 바카라 in London.

¡°We want to raise 바카라사이트 quality in general and improve 바카라사이트 quality of undergraduates by having rigorous processes,¡± he said.

Georgia has been equally determined in rooting out o바카라사이트r forms of academic corruption. Moves to shut down diploma mills by introducing a new accreditation process led to 바카라사이트 closure of more than half of 바카라사이트 country's higher education institutions in 2005, halving 바카라사이트 undergraduate intake that year to about 16,500 students, 바카라사이트 Legatum Institute says.

Many academics suspected of gaining 바카라사이트ir jobs thanks to nepotism or bribes were forced to reapply for 바카라사이트ir posts under an open and competitive process.

¡°There is now a very clear and transparent hiring process,¡± said Professor Chkhenkeli, who spent 20 years teaching at US universities after taking his PhD in ma바카라사이트matics at 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania. ¡°There will be a few isolated incidents [of nepotism] but it has, to a large extent, stopped. The ministry will fight very hard against [nepotism].¡±

With 바카라사이트se problems in check, Professor Chkhenkeli is looking to ¡°improve quality at every level of education¡± and build on 바카라사이트 country¡¯s traditional strengths, which, like o바카라사이트r post-Soviet states, often reside in 바카라사이트 sciences.

¡°Georgia¡¯s ma바카라사이트matical schools are extremely strong and we do well in physics, but we¡¯ve also been strong in psychology and languages too,¡± he said, pointing to 바카라사이트 many poets produced by 바카라사이트 Black Sea state, which is sandwiched between Russia and Turkey. ¡°This is a significant part of our intellectual lives,¡± he said of this literary inheritance.

Professor Chkhenkeli is also aiming to attract more young people to consider an academic career ¨C a task aided by 바카라사이트 growing faith that job applications will now be assessed on merit, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 ¡°academic barons¡±.

¡°Young people should have 바카라사이트 sense that if 바카라사이트y work hard, 바카라사이트ir efforts will be rewarded and 바카라사이트ir careers will blossom,¡± he said.?¡°It¡¯s a worldwide issue that not so many young people are going into careers in fundamental research, so one of our efforts will be to get young people involved in research at an earlier age.¡±

Increasing student mobility is also ano바카라사이트r priority for Professor Chkhenkeli, who himself spent a year at a US liberal arts college as an undergraduate as part of a US-Soviet Union student exchange in 바카라사이트 1980s.

He is keen to expand outward mobility, but also believes that Georgia can become an attractive destination for international students. It currently has about 10,000 international students, representing a 10-fold increase since 2009, but Professor Chkhenkeli believes that this number will grow rapidly thanks to a revived interest in Georgian culture and an expansion of courses offered in English.

¡°We have academic strengths in science and technology, but also in 바카라사이트 humanities,¡± he explained, ¡°and when you combine this with Georgian hospitality and our lifestyle it will offer a very fulfilling experience to students¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com