On Higher Education

On Higher Education
Document number	688
Document issuer	Parliament of Georgia
Date of issuing	21/12/2004
Document type	Law of Georgia
Source and date of publishing	LHG, 2, 10/01/2005
Registration code	430.020.000.05.001.001.626
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LAW OF GEORGIA

ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Chapter I – General Provisions

Article 1 – Scope of the Law

This Law regulates the process of carrying out educational, and scientific research activities by higher education institutions in Georgia, and the principles and procedures of administering and financing higher education; it also determines procedures for the establishment, reorganisation of the activities and for the liquidation of higher education institutions, as well as principles of the authorisation and accreditation of higher education institutions.

Law of Georgia No 2795 of 17 March 2006 – LHG I, No 9, 31.3.2006, Art. 67

Law of Georgia No 3528 of 21 July 2010 – LHG I, No 47, 5.8.2010, Art. 299

Article 2 – Definition of terms

The terms used in this Law have the following meanings:

a) entrant – a person with complete general education who holds a document certifying complete general education or its equivalent document issued in Georgia, and intends to continue studies at a higher education institution;

b) autonomy – the rights of higher education institutions and their main educational units to determine and carry out academic, financial, economic and administrative activities independently;

b¹) authorisation – procedures for acquiring the status of a higher education institution, intended to ensure compliance with the standards necessary to implement appropriate activities for issuing a document certifying education recognised by the state;

c) academic freedom – the right of academic personnel, scientific personnel and students to independently carry out teaching activities, scientific work and study;

c¹) attestation – determination of compliance of professional skills, academic activities and scientific activities of a Professor and a chief research fellow with the requirements set for the occupied positions;

d) mobility – free movement of students and academic personnel in order to participate in the study, teaching and research processes in Georgia and abroad, which is followed by the recognition of the education, credits or qualification acquired during the study period;

e) Academic Council – the highest representative body of a Legal Entity under Public Law (LEPL) higher education institution;

e¹) higher academic education – a higher education course consisting of Bachelor’s, Master’s, integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s teacher training programmes, integrated Master’s programme in veterinary medicine and Doctoral programme;

e²) higher education qualifications framework – a document of the National Qualifications Framework that combines all higher education qualifications in Georgia;

f) academic degree – a qualification awarded to a person by a higher education institution or an Orthodox theological higher education institution after completing an appropriate level of higher academic education;

f¹) joint academic degree – qualification jointly awarded to a person by higher education institutions recognised under the legislation of Georgia and/or a foreign country as a result of implementing a joint higher education programme after completion by the person of an appropriate level of higher academic education;

g) academic title – a title (honorary doctorate, emeritus) granted to scientists or public figures for their special merits as provided for by the legislation of Georgia;

h) accreditation – procedures for determining the compliance of educational programmes of higher education institutions with accreditation standards, which are intended to introduce a systematic self-evaluation system and facilitate the development of quality assurance mechanisms for the improvement of education quality, on the basis of which state financing is acquired, as well as for the implementation of certain programmes determined by this Law;

i) Assistant Professor – a person occupying an academic position at a higher education institution, who participates in the educational and scientific research processes within his/her authority;

i¹) Assistant – a person occupying an academic position at a higher education institution who conducts seminars and performs research activities under the supervision of a Professor, an Associate Professor or an Assistant Professor during studies at main educational units;

j) Associate Professor – an academic position at a higher education institution. Associate Professors participate in the study process and supervise educational, scientific research activities carried out by students;

k) Head of Administration (Chancellor) – the head of administration of a higher education institution in the field of managing financial, material and administrative resources;

l) Bachelor – a person holding the academic degree granted after gaining the number of credits determined for the first level of higher academic education, the Bachelor's Programme;

m) Bachelor's Programme – the educational programme of the first level of higher academic education, where the basics of corresponding specialities are taught in order to enable a person to work with the qualification acquired as a result of these studies and to continue studies for the Master's Programme;

m¹) independent scientific research unit – an independent structural unit of a Legal Entity under Public Law (LEPL) university or of a main educational unit of a university (a scientific research institute, centre, laboratory, etc.), which carries out scientific research work and has management bodies. The independent scientific research unit shall have the right to participate in the study process. The independent scientific research unit must meet the criteria determined by the statute of a higher education institution and must be established in accordance with the procedure established by the statute. The scope of the autonomy, the rule of management and operation of the independent scientific research unit shall be determined by the legislation of Georgia and the regulations of the independent scientific research unit;

m²) a LEPL scientific research institution within a LEPL university – an institution established by the Government of Georgia within a LEPL university with the consent of the university. The LEPL scientific research institution within the LEPL university shall carry out scientific research activities and may participate in the study process on the basis of an agreement with a higher education institution;

n) diploma – a document certifying qualification awarded by a higher education institution, and a document certifying qualification jointly awarded by higher education institutions recognised by the legislation of Georgia and/or of a foreign country;

n¹) certified medical worker/dentist – a person holding an academic degree granted for completing an academic medical higher education programme and for gaining the required number of credits. The purpose of the programme is to train medical workers/dentists for their professional activities in practice;

n²) Master of Education – a holder of an academic degree awarded to a person as a result of completing the integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s teacher training programme or a Master’s education programme and obtaining the determined credits. The Master of Education degree may give a person the right to teach;

n³) Master of Veterinary Medicine – a holder of an academic degree awarded to a person as a result of completing the integrated Master’s programme in veterinary medicine and obtaining the determined credits;

o) (deleted);

o¹) (deleted);

p) diploma supplement – a document issued together with the diploma by a higher education institution to certify the content of the education acquired by a student, and the qualification awarded to him/her by the higher education institution; also a document to certify the content of the education acquired by a student as a result of completing a joint higher education programme, and the qualification jointly awarded to him/her by higher education institutions recognised by the legislation of Georgia and/or of a foreign country;

q) dissertation – a scientific paper presented by a doctoral student in order to acquire a Doctor's academic degree;

r) doctoral student – a person who studies for a Doctor's degree;

s) Doctoral Programme – the third level educational programme of a higher academic education, a combination of educational, scientific research components for the training of scientific personnel, which is completed by granting a Doctor's academic degree;

t) Doctor – a person who holds the academic degree granted for his/her achievements in the components of the Doctoral Programme and for the dissertation presented by him/her;

t¹) e-learning – the study process or a part thereof that does not require the presence of a student and the personnel of a higher education institution simultaneously at a certain location, based on modern information and communication technologies and organised by a higher education institution for persons in the territory of Georgia to acquire a qualification on the basis of higher education programmes accredited in Georgia. Appropriate approaches and methods for planning the curriculum and organising and administering the study process are required for providing e-learning;

u) Unified National Examinations – the procedure that identifies the readiness of an entrant to acquire education on the basis of a higher education programme;

u¹) National Qualifications Framework – a document combining all qualifications in Georgia, including higher education qualifications;

u²) Unified Postgraduate Examination Network – a group of higher education institutions participating in postgraduate examinations, where candidates for Master's degree are enrolled in accordance with procedures established by this Law, after passing the Unified Postgraduate Examinations and the examination/examinations determined by higher education institutions;

v) Individual Educational Programme – a programme prepared in accordance with the interests and levels of the academic training of students;

w) (deleted);

w¹) college – a higher education institution that carries out only the first level educational programmes of higher academic education;

w²) qualification – the learning outcomes achieved by completing a higher education programme, and certified by a diploma or a certificate awarded by a higher education institution; also, the result of study achieved by completing a joint higher education programme and certified by a diploma/diplomas or a certificate jointly awarded by higher education institutions recognised by the legislation of Georgia and/or of a foreign country;

x) coefficient(s) – the unit(s) determined by a higher education institution at the beginning of an academic year, based on which the results of the Unified National Examinations are ranked for the admission of students to a particular educational programme at a particular higher education institution;

y) credit– the unit that defines the necessary academic load for students and which can be obtained after achieving certain learning outcomes;

z) (deleted);

z₁) (deleted);

z₂) Master – a person who holds an academic degree granted to him/her after gaining the necessary number of credits established for the second level of higher academic education, the Master's Programme;

z₂¹) Master's degree student – a person who studies for a Master's degree;

z₃) Master's Programme – the second level educational programme of higher academic education that includes elements of scientific research and is intended to train specialists of the academic level that follows Bachelor's studies or to train scientists; the programme is also intended to train persons to work with acquired qualifications;

z₃¹) candidate for Master's degree – a person holding a Bachelor’s, a certified medical worker’s/a dentist’s, a Master’s or a Master of Education or an equivalent degree and intending to continue study for a Master’s programme. In the case of a regulated educational programme, to continue study for a Master’s programme, a candidate for a Master’s degree must hold a respective Bachelor’s, certified medical worker’s/a dentist’s or an equivalent academic degree;

z₃²) teacher training educational programme – a higher education programme developed on the basis of an appropriate standard, that is independent from a Bachelor’s and the integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s teacher training programmes;

z₃³) teacher training certificate – a document awarded after completing the teacher training educational programme;

z₃⁴) integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s teacher training programme – a higher education programme developed on the basis of an appropriate standard, which must include a module of appropriate subjects/groups of subjects, a teacher training module, a selectable components module, and a school practice and practice research module;

z₃⁵) scientist – a person holding a scientific position at an independent scientific research unit, who carries out scientific research activity and who has the right to participate in the study process and to administer the scientific research work of students;

z₃⁶) post-doctoral fellow – a person holding a Doctor’s or an equivalent academic degree and employed on the basis of a fixed-term labour contract at a main educational unit or an independent scientific research unit under the procedure established by the Academic Council to carry out a specific scientific research project;

z₃⁷) veterinarian’s educational programme – an educational programme developed on the basis of an appropriate standard that is independent from an integrated Master’s programme in veterinary medicine;

z₃⁸) certificate of a veterinarian – a document that is granted after the completion of the veterinarian’s educational programme;

z₃⁹) integrated Master’s programme in veterinary medicine – a higher education programme developed on the basis of an appropriate standard, which includes the learning outcomes of the Bachelor’s and Master’s Programmes and ensures acquisition of the education and qualification relevant to the second level descriptor of the higher academic education of the higher education qualifications framework;

z₄) module – an independent and consistent unit of studies that combines related subjects. A module determines correlation and consistency of subjects. A curriculum consists of several modules;

z₅) Professional Association – an independent non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entity based on the membership principle, established under the legislation of Georgia, which comprises the representatives of one or more related professions and is intended to facilitate the development of professions, to protect common interests of its members and to ensure compliance with the norms of professional ethics;

z₆) Professor – a person holding an academic position at a higher education institution, who administers studies and supervises the scientific research work of students;

z₇) ranking by absolute score(s) – a list prepared on the basis of the absolute score(s) gained by entrants and/or students in the Unified National Examinations and approved by the National Assessment and Examinations Center in the manner provided for by the legislation of Georgia, which identifies the entrants and/or students who have obtained state educational grants;

z₈) ranking by coefficients – a list prepared on the basis of the recalculation of the absolute score(s) gained by entrants in the Unified National Examinations and approved by the National Assessment and Examinations Center in the manner provided for by the legislation of Georgia in accordance with preliminary coefficients which have been established. As a result of recalculation, the entrants are assigned to particular educational programmes of appropriate higher education institutions;

z₉) regulated profession – an activity, the precondition of performance of which, apart from having appropriate qualification, is passing of the State Certification Examination, or for awarding of the needed qualification to perform it, passing of an appropriate examination provided for by the legislation of Georgia is required;

z₁₀) regulated educational programme – a programme for which the state determines special accreditation requirements and/or by which the state ensures the training of Masters and Doctors using special research programmes;

z₁₁) Rector – the head of a higher education institution established by the state, the chairperson of the Academic Council of a LEPL higher education institution, or the chairperson of one of the collegiate bodies of a higher education institution as a non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entity;

z₁₂) educational programme (curriculum) – a combination of training courses/modules for obtaining a higher education qualification, which determines the goals of the programme, the learning outcomes, the training courses/modules with appropriate credits, the system of students assessment and the particularities of organisation of the study process, including the capability to use e-learning (if any);

z₁₃) recognition of education acquired abroad – qualification or education within a higher education programme acquired during studies abroad and recognised by an authorised body;

z₁₄) Dissertation Council – a body granting a Doctor's academic degree. A Dissertation Council may exist at a legal entity under public law within a main educational unit or a university;

z₁₅) (deleted);

z₁₆) educational programme in the fields of art, creative work and sport – an educational programme intended to train specialists (including artists, musicians, actors/actresses, sports specialists, etc.) in one or several specialities in the field of art and sport and to award these persons with corresponding qualifications;

z₁₇) state educational grant – the sum awarded by the state under the procedure established by the legislation of Georgia to a student or a person enrolled in a teacher training educational programme or a veterinarian’s educational programme, which is intended for funding a Bachelor’s Programme, an integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s teacher training programme, an integrated Master’s programme in veterinary medicine or a certified medical worker’s/dentist’s accredited educational programme, and/or a teacher training educational programme;

z₁₈) higher education in arts – higher education that aims to train specialists in one or more fields of art;

z₁₉) higher education in sports – higher education that aims to train specialists in one or more fields of sport;

z₂₀) (deleted);

z₂₁) student – a person enrolled at a higher education institution under the procedure established by this Law and the statute of the higher education institution and studying at the institution to take a Bachelor’s Programme, a Master’s Programme, an integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s teacher training programme, an integrated Master’s programme in veterinary medicine or a certified medical worker’s/dentist’s and a Doctoral programme; also a person enrolled at a higher education institution recognised under the legislation of a foreign country, who is completing a part of the study and/or research component within the framework of a joint higher education programme at a Georgian higher education institution and/or at an independent scientific research unit/a LEPL scientific research institution within a LEPL university/a LEPL scientific research institution;

z₂₂) higher education – the education that follows the complete general education and that ensures the acquisition of expertise relevant to the educational level and certified by an appropriate document;

z₂₃) higher education institution – an educational or an educational scientific and research institution carrying out higher education programmes, the primary function of which is to deliver higher education activities and scientific research works or higher education activities, and to administer creative works. A higher education institution consists of major and structural units and awards appropriate qualifications;

z₂₄) branch of a higher education institution – a part of a higher education institution, which is partially independent, is territorially separated from the management bodies of the institution and delivers the higher education programme(s) that are equivalent to those of the respective higher education institution;

z₂₅) university – a higher education institution that carries out higher education programmes and scientific research of the second and third levels or all the three levels of higher academic education;

z₂₆) main educational unit – a main educational and scientific and administrative unit of a higher education institution that trains students in one or more specialities and awards them appropriate qualifications. According to the statute of a higher education institution, a main educational unit may exist in a form of a main educational unit of a faculty, school, institute or other unit determined by the statute of a higher education institution;

z₂₇) council of a main educational unit – a representative body of a main educational unit of a LEPL higher education institution;

z₂₈) Board of Representatives (Senate) – a representative body of a LEPL higher education institution;

z₂₉) quality assurance – internal and external assessment procedures, the implementation of which facilitates the improvement of education quality at higher education institutions;

z₃₀) syllabus – a document that provides information on the goals of training courses/modules, the learning outcomes, the credits, the content of studies, the methods of teaching and learning, the assessment criteria and the capability to use e-learning (if any);

z₃₁) Unified Postgraduate Examinations – procedures established in accordance with academic disciplines and/or educational programmes under the legislation of Georgia, which identify the readiness of a person to continue studies for a Master's degree;

z₃₂) coefficient of Unified Postgraduate Examinations – the unit determined for each part of the Unified Postgraduate Examinations by a higher education institution in accordance with procedures established by the legislation of Georgia;

z₃₃) minimum competency level for Unified Postgraduate Examinations – minimum amount of scores determined for each part of the Unified Postgraduate Examinations under the legislation of Georgia, which must be obtained by a Master's candidate in order to pass the Unified Postgraduate Examinations and to gain the right to pass the examination/examinations established by a higher education institution;

z₃₄) (deleted – 22.3.2013, No 388);

z₃₅) ranking by the absolute score/scores of the Unified Postgraduate Examinations in accordance with each academic discipline and/or prioritised academic disciplines – a list prepared after the completion of the Unified Postgraduate Examinations in accordance with the absolute score/scores obtained by Master's candidates in the Unified Postgraduate Examinations and approved by the National Assessment and Examinations Center under the legislation of Georgia, which identifies the Master's candidates who obtained a state educational grant in certain academic disciplines and/or prioritised academic disciplines of accredited higher education programmes on the basis of the results of Unified Postgraduate Examinations within the percentage thresholds determined for the annual state educational grant for Master's Programmes, which is allocated under the legislation of Georgia for certain academic disciplines, including for prioritised academic disciplines;

z₃₆) postgraduate examinations – procedures established for obtaining the right to continue studies for a Master's Programme that includes the Unified Postgraduate Examinations organised by the National Assessment and Examination Centre in accordance with academic disciplines, as well as the examination/examinations organised by a higher education institution;

z₃₇) sum of coefficients of postgraduate examinations – the sum of coefficients of the Unified Postgraduate Examinations and/or the examination/examinations established by a higher education institution;

z₃₈) ranking by coefficients of postgraduate examinations – a list of candidates for Master's degree approved by a higher education institution, who have acquired the right to be admitted to an appropriate academic discipline of the Master's Programme of a particular higher education institution and who have been ranked in accordance with the coefficients predetermined and listed by the higher education institution on the basis of the results of postgraduate examinations in accordance with the procedures determined by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia;

z₃₉) state educational grant for Master's Programme – the amount, determined by the Government of Georgia, granted to students for academic disciplines, including for prioritised academic disciplines, and intended for financing accredited Master's Programmes, except for the accredited Master's Programmes of arts, sports, maritime, Orthodox theological and higher military education institutions, unless admission to such programmes is conducted on the basis of the Unified Postgraduate Examinations;

z₄₀) teaching university– a higher education institution that delivers higher education programme/programmes (except for Doctoral Programmes). A teaching university is required to carry out the second level Master's educational programme/programmes;

z₄₁) learning outcomes – the knowledge and skills acquired by a student after completing an educational programme, module and/or training courses;

z₄₂) Georgian language training programme – a special educational programme for the citizens of Georgia who are enrolled at a higher education institution only on the basis of the results of general aptitude tests of the Unified National Examinations in the Azerbaijani, Abkhazian, Ossetian and Armenian languages to acquire skills and knowledge in the Georgian language (writing, reading, listening, speaking) to a level necessary for them to continue studies for a Bachelor’s Programme, an integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s teacher training programme, an integrated Master’s programme in veterinary medicine or a certified medical worker’s/dentist’s educational programme. The above educational programme may also be taken by persons who will be enrolled at a higher education institution without passing the Unified National Examinations under the procedure established by the legislation of Georgia;

[ z ₄₂) Georgian language training programme – a special educational programme for the citizens of Georgia and the persons determined by Article 20 ¹³ of the Law of Georgia on the Procedures for Registering Citizens of Georgia and Aliens Residing in Georgia, for Issuing Identity (Residence) Cards and Passports of a Citizen of Georgia, who are enrolled at higher education institutions on the basis of the results of the Unified National Examinations, to acquire skills and knowledge in the Georgian language (writing, reading, listening, speaking) to a level necessary for them to continue studies for a Bachelor’s Programme, an integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s teacher training programme, an integrated Master’s programme in veterinary medicine or a certified medical worker’s/dentist’s educational programme. The above educational programme may also be taken by persons who will be enrolled at a higher education institution without passing the Unified National Examinations as provided for by the legislation of Georgia; (shall become effective from 1 October 2018) ]

z₄₃) interim qualification – the qualification awarded to a student as a result of gaining the number of credits determined for a short cycle of the first level educational programme;

z₄₄) Board of Regents – the collegiate body established by the Government of Georgia that exercises the supervisory authority determined by this Law over the activities of higher education institutions established by the state as non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal persons;

z₄₅) Higher Education Institution Development Fund – a non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal person set up by a higher education institution established by the state as a non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal person that manages a part of the property and finances of the higher education institution;

z₄₆) higher military education institution – a higher education institution, the state monitoring of the functions of which, as determined by this Law, is performed by the Ministry of Defence of Georgia;

z₄₇) maritime higher education – higher education that ensures the acquisition of appropriate expertise in marine sciences and is certified by an appropriate document;

z₄₈) Orthodox theological higher education – a higher education programme based on Orthodox teaching, doctrine and culture and comprising the Bachelor's, Master's and Doctor's theological educational programmes;

z₄₉) Orthodox theological higher education institution – an educational or educational scientific and research institution implementing higher education programmes in Orthodox theology, the primary function of which is to carry out Orthodox theological higher education activities and scientific research works, as well as Orthodox theological higher education activities and creative works;

z₅₀) police higher education institution – a higher education institution the state monitoring of the functions of which, as determined by this Law, is performed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia;

[ z ₅₀) (deleted – 21.7.2018, No 3271); (shall become effective from 1 November 2018) ]

z₅₁) educational exchange programme – an educational programme carried out on the basis of a student exchange agreement concluded between a Georgian higher education institution and a foreign higher education institution recognised by the legislation of an appropriate foreign country, which enables the students participating in the educational exchange programmes to gain a certain number of credits at a partner higher education institution;

z₅₂) student participating in an educational exchange programme – a student of a Georgian higher education institution or a foreign higher education institution recognised by the legislation of an appropriate foreign country, who gains a certain number of credits within the educational exchange programme at a partner higher education institution;

z₅₃) maritime higher education institution – an educational or educational scientific and research institution delivering higher education programmes, the primary function of which is to carry out maritime higher education activities and maritime scientific research works;

z₅₄) Institute of Technology – a higher education research institution established under the Law of Georgia on the Establishment of a Legal Entity under Public Law called the Institute of Technology;

z₅₅) joint higher education programme – an educational programme carried out between a Georgian higher education institution/institutions and/or a higher education institution recognised under the legislation of a foreign country; also between a higher education institution and an independent scientific research unit/a LEPL scientific research institution within a LEPL university/a LEPL scientific research institution on the basis of an agreement on the implementation of a joint higher education programme, and after completion of which a document/documents certifying higher education is/are issued under the procedure established by the statute of a higher education institution and on the basis of an agreement on the implementation of a joint higher education programme;

[ z ₅₆) post-secondary education preparation programme – a programme carried out by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia or a legal entity under public law/legal entities under public law within its system determined by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, including an educational institution, in which the citizens of Georgia and the persons determined by Article 20 ¹³ of the Law of Georgia on the Procedures for Registering Citizens of Georgia and Aliens Residing in Georgia, for Issuing Identity (Residence) Cards and Passports of a Citizen of Georgia may be enrolled, who have studied for the past two years and have obtained a document certifying complete general education or basic general education from the general educational institutions located in the occupied territories of Georgia determined by the Law of Georgia on Occupied Territories, and whose complete general education or basic general education is recognised according to the procedure established by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia. (Shall become effective from 1 October 2018) ]

Law of Georgia No 2795 of 17 March 2006 – LHG I, No 9, 31.3.2006, Art. 67

Law of Georgia No 4529 of 28 March 2007 – LHG I, No 15, 23.4.2007, Art. 118

Law of Georgia No 673 of 10 December 2008 – LHG I, No 38, 19.12.2008, Art. 241

Law of Georgia No 1161 of 7 April 2009 – LHG I, No 9, 13.4.2009, Art. 44

Law of Georgia No 1611 of 10 August 2009 – LHG I, No 25, 20.8.2009, Art. 148

Law of Georgia No 2078 of 17 November 2009 – LHG I, No 38, 1.12.2009, Art. 281

Law of Georgia No 3528 of 21 July 2010 – LHG I, No 47, 5.8.2010, Art. 299

Law of Georgia No 4209 of 22 February 2011 – website, 10.3.2011

Law of Georgia No 4431 of 11 March 2011 – website, 22.3.2011

Law of Georgia No 4792 of 17 June 2011 – website, 6.7.2011

Law of Georgia No 5718 of 28 February 2012 – website, 9.3.2012

Law of Georgia No 6014 of 10 April 2012 – website, 20.4.2012

Law of Georgia No 187 of 28 December 2012 – website, 29.12.2012

Law of Georgia No 388 of 22 March 2013 – website, 8.4.2013

Law of Georgia No 518 of 5 April 2013 – website, 24.4.2013

Law of Georgia No 917 of 6 August 2013 – website, 20.8.2013

Law of Georgia No 1081 of 6 September 2013 – website, 20.9.2013

Law of Georgia No 1627 of 20 November 2013 – website, 3.12.2013

Law of Georgia No 2725 of 30 October 2014 – website, 6.11.2014

Law of Georgia No 2791 of 14 November 2014 – website, 26.11.2014

Law of Georgia No 4562 of 25 November 2015 – website, 8.12.2015

Law of Georgia No 4582 of 27 November 2015 – website, 10.12.2015

Law of Georgia No 105 of 16 December 2016 – website, 5.1.2017

Law of Georgia No 953 of 1 June 2017 – website, 20.6.2017

Law of Georgia No 1185 of 30 June 2017 – website, 10.7.2017

Law of Georgia No 1367 of 15 November 2017 – website, 27.11.2017

Law of Georgia No 2480 of 6 June 2018 – website, 21.6.2018

Law of Georgia No 3026 of 5 July 2018 – website, 11.7.2018

Law of Georgia No 3041 of 5 July 2018 – website, 11.7.2018

Law of Georgia No 3271 of 21 July 2018 – website, 31.7.2018

Article 3 – Goals of higher education

1. The primary goals of higher education in Georgia are the following:

a) to facilitate the formation of Georgian and international cultural values and to focus on ideas of democracy and humanism necessary for the existence and development of a civil society;

b) to meet the requirements for acquiring higher education, for qualification and for re-training appropriate for the interests and capabilities of a person;

c) to realise personal potential, develop creative skills, train persons with competences relevant to present-day requirements, ensure competitiveness of persons with higher education in domestic as well as in international labour markets, and to offer to interested persons high quality higher education that meets the requirements of students and of the public as a whole;

d) to train and re-train new scientific personnel and to create, provide and improve conditions for scientific research works in order to ensure development of the state and particularly the viability of the higher education system;

e) to encourage the mobility of students and the academic personnel of higher education institutions.

2. In order to achieve the goals determined by paragraph 1 of this article, the state shall ensure:

a) access to and openness of higher education, including for convicted persons within the limits established by the legislation of Georgia, and academic freedom in learning, teaching and scientific research, including for convicted persons within the limits established by the legislation of Georgia;

b) the opportunity to acquire higher education at any time during a person's lifetime;

c) the integration of higher education and science;

d) the development of quality assurance systems, which implies the functioning of authorisation and accreditation systems and quality management assurance mechanisms at higher education institutions;

e) full participation in a unified European educational and research area for the processes of learning, teaching and for conducting scientific research works, as well as in other international systems of cooperation;

f) the autonomy of higher education institutions;

g) the participation of academic personnel, scientific personnel and students of a higher education institution in the process of making decisions and monitoring their execution;

h) the prevention of any forms of discrimination in the field of higher education, including academic, religious or ethnic discrimination, as well as discrimination on the grounds of opinion, sex, social origin and others;

i) publicity and transparency of the management of higher education institutions and of the competitions held in these institutions;

j) the provision of other conditions that facilitate achievement of the goals specified by paragraph 1 of this article.

3. In order to achieve the goals determined by paragraph 1 of this article, higher education institutions shall:

a) train a person for professional practice that requires the use of scientific knowledge and methods;

b) ensure the professional development of their personnel;

c) facilitate the improvement of the social conditions of students;

d) provide appropriate learning conditions for students with disabilities;

e) facilitate the development of sports within its authority;

f) cooperate with other higher education and scientific and research institutions of Georgia;

g) facilitate international cooperation and the exchange of students and Professors with appropriate foreign education institutions;

h) ensure the development of science in a free, democratic and fair social environment by providing favourable conditions for learning, teaching and professional development;

i) assist in spreading contemporary knowledge and technologies;

j) ensure access to and openness of higher education, academic freedom, opportunity to acquire higher education at any time during a person’s lifetime, participation of the academic personnel, scientific personnel and students in the process of making decisions and monitoring their execution, publicity and transparency in managing a higher education institution and in competitions conducted in the institution, prohibition of any forms of discrimination in the field of higher education, including discrimination on any ground such as academic, ethnic, social or religious affiliation, and/or opinion, sex and other grounds;

k) provide other conditions to facilitate the achievement of the goals specified in paragraph 1 of this article.

4. Academic freedom may be restricted only in:

a) determining organisational issues and priorities in order to achieve freedom of scientific research;

b) resolving organisational issues regarding the study process, and the issues concerning the approval of the timetable of lectures and the curricula, in order to achieve freedom of teaching;

c) organising the study process and ensuring high quality studies in order to achieve freedom of learning;

d) in the cases when implementation of a scientific research and publication of its results is restricted under a labour agreement, or when the results contain a state secret.

5. Structural units of political and religious organisations may not be established at higher education institutions.

Law of Georgia No 2795 of 17 March 2006 – LHG I, No 9, 31.3.2006, Art. 67

Law of Georgia No 1611 of 10 August 2009 – LHG I, No 25, 20.8.2009, Art. 148

Law of Georgia No 4792 of 17 June 2011 – website, 6.7.2011

Law of Georgia No 4582 of 27 November 2015 – website, 10.12.2015

Law of Georgia No 953 of 1 June 2017 – website, 20.6.2017

Article 4 – Language of higher education

The language of instruction at higher education institutions is Georgian, and in the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia (studies may be conducted in other languages as well, except for Individual Educational Programmes, where determined by international agreements or agreed with the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia) the language of instruction is Abkhazian as well.

Law of Georgia No 3026 of 5 July 2018 – website, 11.7.2018

Chapter II – Management of the Higher Education System

Article 5 – Authority of the Parliament of Georgia in the field of higher education

The Parliament of Georgia shall:

a) determine the primary areas of higher education policy and management, and adopt appropriate legislative acts;

b) periodically hear a report from the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia on the implementation of state policy, financial activities and the fulfilment of state programmes in the field of higher education.

Law of Georgia No 3026 of 5 July 2018 – website, 11.7.2018

Article 6 – Authority of the Government of Georgia in the field of higher education

1. The Government of Georgia shall:

a) implement state policy in the field of higher education;

b) upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, approve the annual volume and amount of state educational grants and state educational grants for Master's Programmes;

b¹) upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, approve annual academic disciplines for the Master's programme, including prioritised academic disciplines, and distribute the annual amounts of state educational grants for Master's Programmes among each academic discipline and prioritised academic disciplines, by distributing percentage thresholds of state educational grants for Master's Programme among the prioritised academic disciplines;

b²) (deleted – 17.6.2011, No 4792);

b³) (deleted – 17.6.2011, No 4792);

c) upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, determine the amount of and conditions for awarding state educational grants to students admitted to accredited higher education programmes, with a minimum 6% and a maximum 20% of the annual state financing allocated under the social programme;

c¹) upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, approve the volume and amount of financing for persons enrolled in a teacher training educational programme;

c²) upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, determine the volume and amount of state educational grants for students who have been admitted to higher education institutions on the basis of results of the general aptitude tests of the Unified National Examinations in the Azerbaijani, Armenian, Abkhazian and Ossetian languages, who are studying on the Georgian language training programme;

[ c ²) upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, determine the volume and amount of state educational grants for the students enrolled at higher education institutions on the basis of results of Unified National Examinations, who are studying on the Georgian language training programme; (shall become effective from 1 October 2018) ]

c³) upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, determine the amount of and conditions for financing students for the Master's degree admitted to Master's Programmes of higher education institutions with the state educational grant for Master's Programmes under the social programme by not more than 10% of the annual amount of the state educational grant for Master's Programmes;

c⁴) determine the amount of and conditions for financing the higher education of aliens on the basis of the international agreements of Georgia, or the principle of reciprocity or under a special state programme;

c⁵) be authorised, upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, to determine the annual volume and amount of and conditions for allocating state educational grant to the citizens of Georgia and also the persons with neutral ID cards and/or neutral travel documents, who continue studies at an accredited higher education programme of Georgian higher education institution without taking Unified National Examinations following the recognition of education acquired in the occupied territories of Georgia, for the purpose of financing state educational grant with the maximum amount allocated by the Government of Georgia for a given year; upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, the Government of Georgia shall also be authorised to determine the amount of and the procedures for allocating state educational grants and state educational grants for Master's Programmes to the students affected by the natural disasters, who have been admitted to accredited higher education programmes of higher education institutions of Georgia;

[ c ⁵) be authorised, upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, to determine the annual volume and amount of and conditions for allocating state educational grants to the citizens of Georgia and the persons determined by Article 20 ¹³ of the Law of Georgia on the Procedures for Registering Citizens of Georgia and Aliens Residing in Georgia, for Issuing Identity (Residence) Cards and Passports of a Citizen of Georgia, who continue studies on accredited higher education programmes of Georgian higher education institutions without taking Unified National Examinations following the recognition of education acquired in the Autonomous Republic of Abkhazia or Tskhinvali region (former Autonomous Region of South Ossetia), for the purpose of financing with the maximum amount of the state educational grant allocated by the Government of Georgia for a given year. Upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, the Government of Georgia shall be also authorised to determine the amount of and the procedures for allocating state educational grants and state educational grants for Master's Programmes to the students affected by the natural disasters, who have been enrolled in accredited higher education programmes of higher education institutions of Georgia; (shall become effective from 1 October 2018) ]

c⁶) approve the procedures for enjoying student discounts using the student ID Cards (residence cards) upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia;

d) upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, establish a legal entity under public law or a non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entity under private law in order to acquire the status of a higher education institution and approve its temporary statute;

d¹) upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, approve the criteria and procedure for the establishment of a LEPL scientific research institution within a LEPL university;

e) establish the Board of Regents and approve its regulations;

f) upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Defence of Georgia, establish a legal entity under public law or a non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entity under private law in order to acquire the status of a higher military education institution and approve its temporary statute;

g) upon the recommendation of a LEPL Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia, establish a legal entity under public law in order to acquire the status of a higher maritime education institution and approve its temporary statute;

h) upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, grant the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia ('the MIA Academy of Georgia') the right to apply to the Legal Entity under Public Law called National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement in order to acquire the status of a police higher education institution.

[ h) (deleted – 21.7.2018, No 3271); (shall become effective from 1 November 2018) ]

2. (Deleted).

Law of Georgia No 2795 of 17 March 2006 – LHG I, No 9, 31.3.2006, Art. 67

Law of Georgia No 3987 of 14 December 2006 – LHG I, No 48, 22.12.2006, Art. 354

Law of Georgia No 4529 of 28 March 2007 – LHG I, No 15, 23.4.2007, Art. 118

Law of Georgia No 5533 of 4 December 2007 – LHG I, No 43, 12.12.2007, Art. 392

Law of Georgia No 1161 of 7 April 2009 – LHG I, No 9, 13.4.2009, Art. 44

Law of Georgia No 1611 of 10 August 2009 – LHG I, No 25, 20.8.2009, Art. 148

Law of Georgia No 2078 of 17 November 2009 – LHG I, No 38, 1.12.2009, Art. 281

Law of Georgia No 2941 of 20 April 2010 – LHG I, No 23, 4.5.2010, Art. 123

Law of Georgia No 3528 of 21 July 2010 – LHG I, No 47, 5.8.2010, Art. 299

Law of Georgia No 4040 of 15 December 2010 – LHG I, No 75, 27.12.2010, Art. 464