Closer Cooperation Between the University of Göttingen and Georgian Universities
The Volkswagen Foundation will support the cooperation between the University of Göttingen and two Georgian universities with more than 1.5 million euros.
The projects are linked to the foundations‘ funding initiative “Between Europe and the Orient – a Focus on Research and Higher Education in/on Central Asia and the Caucasus”. The initiative aimed at fostering closer cooperation between Germany and states of Central Asia and the Caucuses that received their independence from the Soviet Union. Joined initiatives of researchers from both countries on relevant research subjects will be especially promoted. Additionally, both projects receive funding from the Georgian Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation.
On one hand, the Volkswagen Foundation funds one project between the University of Göttingen and the Ilia State University Tbilisi (ISU) with 786,000 euros, while the Rustaveli Foundation will support the project with 292,500 euros. The project entails a multidisciplinary and structured doctoral programme, the Lehmann-Haupt-International Doctoral Programme. Twelve PhD-students from Georgia or the Caucasus region will be promoted and at the same time co-supervised by professors from both universities.
Building on this foundation, the ISU International Doctoral School will be established in order to enable a structured doctoral education in Georgia in the long run. Thirteen professors from the University of Göttingen will be engaged in the programme, which includes 9 disciplines (physics, linguistics, forestry, theology, social sciences and law, development economics, history and medicine).
Furthermore, an international doctoral programme between the Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) and the University of Göttingen will be funded. Prof. Dr. Ralf Meyer from the Institute of Mathematics of the University of Göttingen will lead this programme. Both, the Volkswagen Foundation and the Rustaveli Foundation will fund this programme with 767,200 euros. A co-supervisor from the partner university will be appointed for all the PhD candidates. Georgian candidates will receive a scholarship for a six to twelve months research stay at a German university.
Both universities have longstanding relations to the University of Göttingen, which have already led to successful cooperation, for example the EU-TEMPUS CIBELIS project, the Erasmus Mundus Action 2 ALARKIS I and II and of course the exchange of students and staff via Erasmus+. During the last few years, more than 20 scientific and student exchanges have taken place.
Contact:
Aleksandra Bovt
Coordinator of the project
Göttingen International/The International Office