TSU Emeritus Professor, Academician Mariam Lortkipanidze delivered a public lecture “How did we survive?” at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) on February 12. The lecture was delivered in frames of “the First Public Lecture of the Year.” TSU Rector, Academician Vladimer Papava, students, professors and invited guests attended the event.

TSU Rector Vladimer Papava said: “The first lecture at the newly established university was delivered by Ivane Javakhishvili. His lecture paved the way to an educational process at TSU. We decided two years ago to announce February 12 as the Day of the First Public Lecture. Every February 12 successful alumni, whose lectures will be very interesting for our students, will deliver “the First Public Lecture.” By recommendation of the Council of Advisers, it was decided that Mariam Lortkipanidze would deliver the first lecture this year. We decided to publish a collection, which, along with Ivane Javakhishvili’s first lecture, will contain “the first public lectures” delivered each year.”

“I submitted two or three topics for the today’s lecture, but Rector Papava selected “How did we survive?” as a topic of the first public lecture. It is a very difficult topic, because today there may be no one in our age but we have still survived. Of course, there is no final answer, but I tried to present several key factors about what has helped us survive,” Mariam Lortkipanidze said.

According to the rule of holding “the First Public Lecture of the Year,” a public lecture can be delivered by university alumni – incumbent academic personnel, emeritus professors, famous public and political figures, prominent representatives of art and culture.

A public lecture is delivered annually on February 12. Ivane Javakhishvili delivered the first lecture just on February 12, 1918. In frames of “the First Public Lecture of the Year”, Georgian Parliamentary Chairman Davit Usupashvili delivered a lecture “Our State” at TSU on February 12, 2015.

After the public lecture, Academician Mariam Lortkipanidze was awarded with a diploma for delivering “the First Public Lecture of the Year.” A collection “First Lecture” printed by the TSU Publishing House, containing a printed version of lectures delivered by Ivane Javakhishvili and Davit Usupashvili, was distributed among the participants.