Summer School “Global Professional Skills – Leadership and Employment Opportunities”

An international summer school “Global Professional Skills – Leadership and Employment Opportunities” was opened online on September 4, ten days before the beginning of the new academic year, and closed on September 12. The event was organized by the TSU Faculty of Economics and Business, Koblenz University of Applied Sciences (Germany) and Azerbaijan State University of Economics. Students from Baku Engineering University and Tbilisi Business and Technology University also participated in the summer school.

The summer school was held for a fifth consecutive year. In 2017 and 2018, it was hosted by TSU and a lot of German and Azerbaijani students attended it. In 2016 and 2019, the summer school was held in Baku with the participation of TSU students. In 2020, it was held online for the first time due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The project is led by Prof. Dr. Magdalena Stülb and co-led by Prof. Gabriela Wolf and Sven Binder. Ucha Gogrichiani, head of the PR Department of the TSU Faculty of Economics and Business, is the coordinator of the international summer school. 

Theoretical classes are led by German, Georgian and Azerbaijani professors and invited lecturers. The Georgian side is represented by Tamar Kbiladze and Sopiko Jvarsheishvili. 

The summer school program envisages both theoretical and practical courses. Business companies involved in health, sport and industrial spheres were selected in all the three participating countries in advance. The following Georgian companies became the project partners in 2020: 

1. Dental clinic “Medi Dent Plus” (Director Tamar Dolidze) 

2. Football club “Saburtalo” (President Tariel Khechikashvili) 

3. Georgian-Israeli joint company Bar Lev Group (Director General Aharon Gagulashvili)

Anuka Kinkladze, fourth-year student of the Faculty of Economics and Business, summer school participant: “The international summer school enables students from various countries to get acquainted with each other, familiarize themselves with the culture and traditions of other countries. The project is very interactive and fruitful. Although the school is being held online this year, I think that participants managed to show off themselves, as well as their respective universities and countries. The main topic of the project was global professional skills and experience that is a very interesting issue for every student. Each meeting is very fruitful and informative; international experience is shared very actively and what is most important, the project also involves a practical course that enables us to make our spring research more comprehensive. Further, this program helps us develop our skills, such as communication, presentation, teamwork skills. I would like to thank the organizers and participants for very interesting and important experience.” 

Luka Kankadze, fourth-year student of the Faculty of Economics and Business, summer school participant: “The Caucasus summer school is a unique project that is being implemented for years. It promotes the rapprochement of Georgian, German and Azerbaijani students and academic staff. We attended seminars on a daily basis and worked on various interesting projects. We actively discussed a number of issues, including unemployment, economic challenges amid pandemic and so on. We, the students and organizers, successfully managed to strengthen friendly atmosphere even in a virtual space. The experience and new social connections will help me fruitfully spend the next Erasmus+ exchange semester at Koblenz University of Applied Sciences.” 

On September 12, the international summer school was virtually closed in a solemn atmosphere. Representatives of universities, partner companies and foreign diplomats participated in the closing ceremony. Dean of the TSU Faculty of Economics and Business, Prof. Giorgi Gaganidze welcomed the school leaders and students and congratulated them on their successful work. He invited the participants to visit Georgia in 2021.   

The working language of the summer school was English. Upon its completion, certificates were awarded to the participants. Next year, it is planned to uphold the tradition and further enhance the cooperation between universities.