Decision to Merge Georgia’s Oldest Universities Hits Resistance Among Students, Professors

2026-02-05 - 10:38

The Georgian Dream government’s announcement to merge Tbilisi State University (TSU) and Georgian Technical University (GTU), the country’s two oldest public universities, has sparked discontent among students and academic staff at both institutions. Protests have been ongoing at both universities’ campuses since GD Education Minister Givi Mikanadze unveiled the plan on January 29, arguing that the merger would help TSU “become a leading center of academic and scientific development in the region and significantly improve international rankings.” The announcement was made without prior public consultation and is part of the government’s controversial education reform agenda. Expressing clear objections to the plan, groups of academics at TSU and GTU called on authorities to pause the decision and engage in open, inclusive discussions. On February 4, the TSU’s Senate, the university’s representative governing body that includes faculty and student delegates, overwhelmingly rejected the merger, voting 39-1 to call on the government to halt the process in its current form and engage in substantive dialogue with all stakeholders. In its resolution, the Senate warned that such a large-scale institutional reorganization carries “administrative and academic risks,” including incompatible governance, uncertainty about staff roles, mismatched quality-assurance systems, and disruption to teaching. The body said the merger could undermine educational quality and lead to job losses. The Senate called the plan to merge the two universities “not substantiated and therefore not appropriate.” “The Senate demands a return of the process to the academic space, dialogue, involvement of university representatives in examining the issue, and decision-making with respect for the principle of autonomy,” the resolution said, adding, “We believe that the process of merging the two universities should be halted in this form and active communication with the parties should continue.” At GTU, reactions have been more mixed. On January 31, an open letter was published on the university’s website, signed by what was described as the “Academic and Scientific Community of Georgian Technical University” and “supporters” of Georgian Dream founder and honorary chairman Bidzina Ivanishvili. The letter appealed to Ivanishvili to use his “authority and sense of state responsibility” to act as an intermediary with the education reform commission and ensure that the academic community receives comprehensive information about the planned merger, including its objectives, mechanisms, and timeline. “The academic community of the Georgian Technical University demands that, before any parliamentary hearing on the issue of merging the Georgian Technical University with Tbilisi State University, representatives of the Parliament’s Education Committee and the Government visit the Technical University to hold a public discussion with our university community,” the statement said. GTU professors met with Deputy Education Minister Zviad Gabisonia on February 2. According to Rector Davit Gurgenidze, the meeting involved an exchange of views in what he described as a “professional dialogue.” He added that a follow-up meeting with Education Minister Mikanadze was scheduled by the end of the week to “agree on final positions.” Meanwhile, pro-government broadcasters have framed the merger as a remedy to “infrastructure problems” at GTU. TV Imedi and Rustavi 2 aired footage highlighting worn and damaged university buildings and reported damaged lecture halls, outdated equipment, and poor sanitary conditions. GTU responded by demanding apologies from both broadcasters and rejecting claims that its study conditions are inadequate or that its infrastructure fails to meet academic standards. The university said the reports contained “factual errors, distorted assessments, and clear disinformation” that deliberately misled the public about GTU’s educational environment. Founded in 1918, TSU is Georgia’s leading public university, with around 22,000 students enrolled across seven faculties. GTU, established in 1922, comprises eleven faculties and serves approximately 20,000 students. Both institutions offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs and maintain active research portfolios. In recent years, however, they have faced persistent concerns over weakened institutional autonomy and increasing government influence over university governance. The proposed merger comes amid sweeping education reforms unveiled by Georgian Dream in October and December, covering both higher and general education. On February 4, the disputed parliament fast-tracked and adopted amendments to the Laws on General and Higher Education, expanding state oversight of public universities and introducing structural changes across the education system, including broad authority to reorganize state universities. Commenting on the proposed merger, Salome Dundua, Associate Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at TSU, expressed strong opposition. “It is completely unimaginable to me that, in relation to these walls, this institution, and the memory of the people who made their mark here, we could act in a way that history would never forgive us for,” she said. “Nobody has the right, by any legal norm, by any manipulation, or through legal juggling, to justify standing up one day and rewriting history.” Also Read: 28/01/2026 – Opinion | Georgia’s University Reform Is Not a Neutral Initiative. It’s a Political Act 18/12/2025 – International Group of Academics Call on Kobakhidze to ‘Rethink’ Education Reform 08/12/2025 – Education for ‘Free’ or Academic ‘Catastrophe’ – Controversial Reforms Reach Universities