TSU Professor Lado Chanturia was awarded an honorary doctorate on November 22, 2013 from the University of Kiel. On the occasion of the event, a solemn session was held at the conference hall of the Kiel Museum of Fine Arts. President of the University, Prof. Dr. Gerhard Fouquet, Dean of the Law Faculty, Prof. Rudolf Meyer-Pritzl, and Director of the Institute of East European Law of the University at Kiel, Prof. Alexander Trunk spoke about Chanturia’s fruitful scientific activity, his specific role in the process of legal reforms ongoing in post-Soviet countries and his contribution to international projects and educational process at the University of Kiel. The letter by Georgian Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze was read out at the session, where she informed the audience about appointing Lado Chanturia as Georgian ambassador to Germany.
In his solemn speech Lado Chanturia spoke about Georgia and legal reforms implemented in the country with the support of Germany, as well as about the importance of German-Georgian cooperation in the sphere of law, contribution of German universities and scientific institutions to the education of young lawyers. He specifically emphasized the importance of Europeanization of Georgian law for both Georgia’s European integration and development of Georgian legal statehood. In this context, he stressed the historic importance of initiating the Association Agreement between Georgia and the European Union at the Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit and its planned signing in 2014.
Noteworthy that Lado Chanturia is the first Georgian lawyer, who was awarded an honorary doctorate from the German University. It should also be noted that the last time when the Kiel University awarded an honorary doctorate was about ten years ago.
Top officials from the legislative, executive and judicial authorities, directors of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg, famous scientists and public figures from France, Austria and other countries, as well as Dean of the TSU Faculty of Law Irakli Burduli attended the event.
Georgian artists – pianist Dudana Mazmanishvili and tenor Giorgi Oniani – received an ovation from the audience after performing at a solemn part of the event.
