Tempus Project – Developing Student Career Services in Georgia – CASEDE 530566-TEMPUS-1-2012-1-LT-TEMPUS-SMGR. Project coordinator was Villnius University in Latvia. The aim of the project was to provide students with servces which would help them in career development. in the framework of the project the Students Career Center was launched at the university and the course “Career Management” was designed. The course was implemented in the Business Administration Faculty as the compulsory and optional course of 5 ECTS. The syllabus and programme is designed in a way that enables to transform it as a training course.  The Center operates even now and enables students to choose different training courses.

Tempus Project – Development and Introduction of Multilingual Teacher Education Programs at Universities of Georgia and Ukraine – DOIT – EU-TEMPUS_DOIT – 2012-2016 (coordinator is Gordon Academic College – Israel)

In the framework of the project 4 teaching innovative course were developed:

• Children’s rights;
• Promoting intercultural relations in the classroom;
• Identity in multicultural societies;
• Multiethnic Georgia.

Courses were introduced in primary education, as well as Georgian language preparatory one-year programmes, certain topics were built-in different programme of the faculty of education, humanities and social sciences (English philology, history), as well as teacher training 60 ECTS minor programme. Today these courses are included in the Integrated Bachelor’s-Master’s programme of primary education school teacher (300 ECTS).

Courses in the framework of DOIT are the following=g:

• Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education – 6 ECTS;
• Multiethnic and Multicultural Georgia – 4 ECTS;
• Multicultural Education – 5 ECTS;
• Culture and Education Centers in Samtskhe-Javakheti – 4 ECTS
• Children’s rights in and through education: Learning to live together – 6 ECTS

Elements of DOIT courses were integrated in some teaching courses (mainly in the programmes of the faulty of education, humanities and social sciences)

EU-ASPIRE-Access to Society for People with Individual Requirements 2012-2015 (coordinator – Ilia State University)

The following 8 training modules were developed and piloted:

• Module 1 – English language module for special purposes;
• Module 2 – Marketing Module (Introduction to Theory and Practice);
• Module 3 – Library Usage Module;
• Module 4 – Preparatory Module for Assistant Instructor (so-called Intermediate Officer);
• Module 5 – Supportive module for overcoming cognitive and learning difficulties (moderate and severe learning difficulties and dyslexia);
• Module 6 – Supportive Module for Overcoming Communication and Interaction Difficulties (Focusing on Autism Based on SWOT Analysis);
• Module 7 – Module for Overcoming Difficulties in Physical Motion and Sensitivity;
• Module 8 – Module for Overcoming Social Skills, Emotional Expression and Behavior;

These modules were integrated into Bachelor’s  programme of primary education, and part of the modules (3-4 hours) were integrated into the English Philology programme; Currently, the modules have been integrated and following independent study courses were developed:

1. Inclusive Education – 6 ECTS;
2. Emotional and Social Aspects of Learning – 6 ECTS;

These courses are the part of Integrated Bachelor’s-Master’s programme of primary education school teacher (300 ECTS).

EU-DIMTEGU – Development and Introduction of Multilingual Teacher Education Programs at Universities of Georgia and Ukraine, 2012-2016 (coordinator Iv. Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University). In the framework of abovementioned Tempus project the educational programme for bilingual school teacher has been developed. Part of the courses developed within the project are introduced in the Bachelor programme of Philology, Georgian Language Masters Programmes, courses are actively applied to non-Georgian students in the 1-year Georgian language educational programme.

Currently, the following courses are prepared:

1. Georgian as a Second Language Teaching Methodology – 5 ECTS;
2. Multilingual Education – 5 ECTS;
3. Basics of bilingual education – 5 ECTS;

The courses are the part of Integrated Bachelor’s-Master’s programme of primary education school teacher (300 ECTS). The courses designed in the frames of international projects have been added to the list of courses offered by the exchange programme students, which significantly diversified the list of offered courses. In addition to integrating the courses presented in the educational programmes, they are important for the university in other respects as well, in particular for a reason that the university does not currently have English-language educational programs.

From the 2019-2020 academic year univeristy will be involved in one more ERASMUS+ project: 609741 – EPP – 1 – 2019 – 1 – GEEPPKA2-CBHE – Role of Universities in the Regional Development – AKAKI  TSERETELI STATE UNIVERSITETY. The project partners are the regional universities with the special importance.

The professors as well as the staff and students can benefit from mobility and short-term exchange programs at LEPL Samtskhe-Javakheti State University. The university is involved in EU-funded Erasmus + projects (ICM). Since 2015, we have received funding from the University of Iasi, Romania, where professors and students have been involved in mobility, receiving EU-funded grants. In 2018 announcement (KA107) we received funding from Lodz University. In 2019 announcement we have made five new applications to various leading European universities. Including WSB University – Poland, Varna Free University – Bulgaria, Catholic University in Ruzomberok – Slovakia, Lodz University – Poland, Uppsala University – Sweden.

In addition to the Erasmus+ exchange programmes, the University has a Memorandum of Understanding with University of Lodz, Poland and implements Direct Mobility. Selected candidates do not pay tuition fees at the host university. The study lasts for one semester. Candidates are selected in accordance with the pre-planned competition. The competition is open to students of all faculties who speak English.

From 2014 to 2018, four students from Samtskhe-Javakheti State University benefited from Direct Mobility, there credits have been recognized and they continued studies at their home university.

Two international mobilities are planned for the winter semester 2019.

Since 2014 we have been implementing Mevlana exchange programme with Turkish universities. It aims at exchanging students and professors. Teaching is carried out at all stages of higher education.

In 2015-2019, three students benefited from the Mevlana Exchange Programme.

Within the framework of international projects the University has implemented activities for the purpose of internationalization.

Professor and teachers of Samtskhe-Javakheti State University were actively involved in international seminars and conferences. They also hold international conferences and symposiums themselves. Scientific papers of professors and lecturers have been published in various international journals. The university has allocated a certain amount of money in the budget to help our scientists publish their papers in international journals.

Students take part in winter/summer and autumn schools, as well as various seminars and international events.

About 30 students participated in educational-cultural event – Winter School “Turkish Language Practical Course” Erzurum Ataturk University.

During 2015-2018 in Ankara, the Republic of Turkey a program of the Summer School of Turkology was organized by the Turkology Department of Yunus Emre Institute of in Ankara. Within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between the University and the Tbilisi Turkolology Culture of Yunus Emre Institute, six students from the university participated (three years in a row) in studying practical Turkish.

On August 21-25, 2018, together with nine universities from six European countries at the IX International Qualification School organized by the Chernoriz Kharabri Free University Russian Center in Bulgaria, the university team participated in the main event of Russian Teachers and Students of the Year for the first time.

November 9-12, 2017 – Autumn School – Bulgaria – VII International Scientific-Practical Seminar ” “Teaching Translation Mastery”, organized by the Plovdiv University and supported by the Plovdiv Center for Russian Language and Culture, with the support of the University’s Department of Russian Philology.