Institutional Sustainable Development of the CIF Grant Project ReInnova Results Implemented at GTU

The team members of the Georgian Technical University project “Research and Innovation Support Program to Stimulate and Improve Cooperation with Industrial Businesses in Engineering Education – ReINNOVA” were on a working visit to Keele University (Great Britain).

The purpose of the visit was to prepare a sustainable development plan for the further independent implementation of the second phase of the ReINNOVA project of the Georgian Technical University, which is based on the best British practice.

According to the Dean of the Faculty of Transportation Systems and Mechanical Engineering at GTU – Professor Boris Githolendia, the delegation of the Georgian Technical University held a business meeting with representatives of the central and faculty administrations of Keele University, moderated by Professor Antonius Ragubanis, Vice-Chancellor for International Cooperation at Keele University.

As the Dean states, to share best practices, meetings were held with representatives of local small and medium-sized business organizations and members of the Stanford Shire Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“Under the moderation of Dr. Colin Rigby, Director of the Keele University Business School Entrepreneurship Center, and the group work of the Georgian Technical University project team members, an independent, further sustainable development plan for the second phase of the Innovation and Research Program was prepared. Its implementation, according to the project strategy, in coordination with the relevant departments of the faculty, the Georgian Technical University Technology and Grant Projects Office will take care. One of the goals of the meetings was to share best British practices and introduce new initiatives and already implemented projects that are implemented at Keele University. To generate ideas, and new initiatives, joint future projects, and encourage cooperation, interesting meetings were held with academic staff from various faculties of Keele University. The university plans to hold a final conference of the project by the end of the year, at which, with British guests, the final report and the sustainable development plan of its results will be presented,” said Boris Gitolandia.

For information, the project submitted under the authorship and direct leadership of the Rector of the Georgian Technical University, Academician David Gurgenidze “Research and Innovation Support Program to Stimulate and Improve Collaboration with Industrial Businesses in Engineering Education – ReINNOVA” won the grant competition announced by the World Bank, Georgia I2Q Innovation, Inclusion and Quality Project (CIF) in 2023.

The goal of ReINNOVA is to strengthen the connections between GTU and entrepreneurial business industries, ensure the involvement of employers in the education process, and promote the preparation of competitive and qualified personnel in the labor market by improving the results of students’ training practices.

The project envisages piloting ReINNOVA and strengthening the training module of industrial practice in 6 educational programs of the faculties of Transportation Systems and Mechanical Engineering and Construction of GTU.

At the Georgian Technical University, the institutional coordination of the project is carried out by the GTU Technology and Grant Projects Office in partnership with Keele University.