The international kick-off meeting of the TEMPUS project SSRULLI (Strengthening the Specific Role of Universities as Lifelong Learning Institutions) was held at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. The representatives of partner universities and organizations from Georgia, Austria, Germany, Estonia, Azerbaijan and Armenia participated in the two-day meeting.
“This is the project, where TSU acts as a coordinator and which is about the development of universities as lifelong learning institutions. Lifelong learning represents a serious segment for the university in terms of creating an informal educational environment, on the one hand, and public relations, on the other, because it is one of our functions to give new knowledge to the society. At the same time, lifelong learning institutions have their own specifics at the universities,” Vice Rector of TSU, Marine Chitashvili said. She also noted that it is important that the representatives of Estonia, Germany and Austria are also involved in the project along with the Caucasus countries that will enable the university to have a normal lifelong learning center according to its modernization and strategic development.
Head of the TEMPUS National Office in Georgia, Lika Glonti said that “the project opens up opportunities to the university as a provider of services to the society. At the same time, it is important that the Georgian university is a coordinator. This is already the third project where the Tbilisi State University acts as a coordinator. It should also be noted that TSU is a leader in terms of implemented TEMPUS projects not only in the South Caucasus, but in the entire post-Soviet space as well.”
SSRULLI will last for two years; it envisages the development of lifelong learning educational system and creation of relevant infrastructure in partner universities. University strategies and regional recommendations on lifelong university learning will be developed within the framework of the project. At least one lifelong learning course will be introduced at each partner university. Moreover, a regional network of lifelong university learning will be created to promote further development of lifelong learning at partner universities.
