UNIVERSITIES AS ACTORS ON CHANGE IN TRANSITION COUNTRIES: MASSIFICATION AND QUALITY Ilia Chavchavadze State University, Tbilisi, Georgia Keti Gurchiani 1 6/17/2009

Keti Gurchiani 2 1.Profile of the University 2.Educational reforms in Georgia: brief overview 3.Challenge: massification and quality 4.Overview of current situation in Georgia regarding massification 5.New model 6.How can a university be influential? 6/17/2009

Ilia Chavchavadze State University Facts and figures 200 professors, 110 researchers, 8000 students 10 faculties Best annual research rate among Georgian universities and institutions Highest annual salary rate among higher education institutions in Georgia 14% of the annual budget allocated for research  Research University in Georgia  Incorporates some main research institutions  Three cycles: Bachelor 4, Masters 2, PhD 3-5  Actively involved in the Bologna process: Tuning Georgia Project in 9 subject areas  Programs in higher professional education Keti Gurchiani 3 6/17/2009

Beginning of Reforms2004 Keti Gurchiani New law Accreditation system: from approx. 300 so called universities only 40 remained ECTS Three cycles National Entry Exams Introduction of per capita financing State grants 4 6/17/2009

Trade-off for quality Reform was successful, but created new problem: Education is not accessible for the major part of new generation Major challenge 6/17/ Keti Gurchiani

Massification versus Quality Keti Gurchiani 6  What are the implications today regarding massification?  How can the quality be maintained and education be democratized? 6/17/2009

Overview and General Information: Tertiary Education in Georgia Keti Gurchiani  Higher Education (three cycles)  Higher Professional Education (2 – 3 years)  Higher education institutions (state or private)are either universities (when they offer all three cycles) or institutes (with first two cycles only) or colleges (only higher professional education)  There are accredited and non-accredited institutions with license 7 6/17/2009

Higher education institutions – 64 State institutions – 20 Private – 44 Placed in Tbilisi – 72% General Statistics Keti Gurchiani 8 6/17/2009

General numbers Keti Gurchiani  Number of graduates of general education –  Applicants for university national entry exams –  Placements in universities /17/2009

Defining problems Keti Gurchiani  Data imply that Approx people each year (from graduates) stay without higher education after living high schools Perspectives to offer every school leaver chance for tertiary education is a very far perspective Tendency of decreasing quality because of high demand: there is no incentive for the increase in quality as the demand exceeds the number of placements 10 6/17/2009

Reasons for poor enrollment Keti Gurchiani 1. Financial problems: Approx state grants (100%, 75%, 50%, 30%) Tuition fee for State Universities – 2250 Georgian Lari (from 2009) Distribution of grants is merit based (general exam scores) and less needs based 2. Entry Exams which are competitive without “real” threshold level 3. Non-diversified selectivity 4. Low number of placements in universities (poor infrastructure) 11 6/17/2009

Keti Gurchiani 12 Poor enrollment in graduate studies 6/17/2009

Keti Gurchiani Number of Students in Different Cycles BAHPEMedMAPhDtotal # % Source: /17/2009

Number of master’s and PhD students in relation to bachelor’s  Masters students - 10% of total number of students  PhD students – 2% of total number of students (mostly “aspirants” from old system, number is decreasing) At ISCED level 6, doctoral graduates are in a very small minority, giving a weighted European Union average of 0.6 %. Only in Germany, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Sweden do they account for or exceed 1 % of the population aged between 25 and 64. Key Data on Higher Education in Europe 2007 Edition Keti Gurchiani GeorgiaEuropean Universities 14 6/17/2009

Second and third cycles Keti Gurchiani The number of second and third cycle students is low  Financial Problems 2009 – state grants for second cycle students (1000 grants in total) 2010 – state grants for third cycle students  Non diversified system: only research masters  Long duration: only two years masters  Low demand on job market  Decreasing popularity of sciences 15 6/17/2009

Problems regarding quality in the third cycle Keti Gurchiani Many universities offer PhD-programs without proving they have research capabilities There is no classification and no standards, which define a research university There are not many active researchers Finances are not enough for funding many high class research universities 16 6/17/2009

What will be the long lasting problems? Keti Gurchiani  High number of people staying outside academia means no chance for building knowledge society an responsible citizens; Low qualification and low employment rates - social tensions in 4-5 years; Some professions (teachers) will have big gaps  Low number of masters and PhD students will further decrease research potential of the country. 17 6/17/2009

Massification: different point of views  The notion, that education must be there for everybody, is not popular  For advancement of knowledge society the university sees it as its duty to contribute to democratization of education through diversification of whole educational system Keti Gurchiani 18 6/17/2009

How does the university address these problems? Keti Gurchiani  The university helps through Defining state-of-art through research and analysis of the current situation Arising and debating issues Active Participating in lawmaking Elaborating new model and making it popular 19 6/17/2009

New Model Keti Gurchiani  Diversification of higher education system Accreditation for defining the status of universities:  Research university  Teaching university  Community Colleges  Diversification of selectivity o No entry exams for community colleges o Different threshold levels for different kinds of universities o Dealing with minority problems (lower threshold in Georgian exams)  Diversification of financing  Diversification of Degrees 20 6/17/2009

Diversification of educational system  One major research university for approx students, funded by state for “massification” of quality  Research university will concentrate on graduate studies for advancing research  In visible future more high class academics for other research universities will be available and for upgrading teaching universities/colleges  Six teaching universities with two first cycles and higher professional programs, PhD only in some subject areas or via joint degrees with research university.  Introducing distant learning Keti Gurchiani 21 6/17/2009

Community colleges Keti Gurchiani Community colleges (no entry exams) with two years of higher academic education and professional education, leading to associate’s degrees will:  provide easier access to post-secondary education  increase integration of disadvantaged groups  raise educational level of the society The upgrade of colleges and teaching universities could be a future, if quality will be “massified” in research university 22 6/17/2009

Diversification of degrees  Academic Bachelor Research Masters (2) Research PhD (3-5)  Professional Associate’s Degree (2) Professional Masters (1) Professional PhD (3 - 4 years) 6/17/ Keti Gurchiani The blocks do not exclude each other

How do we make ourselves audible? Keti Gurchiani  Try to attract best people and to make the best possible research environment for them  By maintaining higher standards the university builds its reputation  Interaction with the society takes place at different levels  Organizing and participating in public debates organized by others. Public cyber Space  Being experts in educational policy  Member of accreditation board  Member of group working on NQF  Rectors conference (informal, initiated by Iliauni)  Pushing government to increase financing of research and higher education 24 6/17/2009

Thank you! დიდი მადლობა ! Keti Gurchiani 25 6/17/2009