Tamaz Bekaia Educational Foundation to Include Highly Rated Students of the Faculty of Sustainable Mountain Development in Scholarship Program

Highly rated students of the bachelor’s educational programs of the Faculty of Sustainable Mountain Development of the Georgian Technical University will receive a monthly scholarship from the Tamaz Bekaia Educational Foundation starting from the spring semester of the 2024-2025 academic year.

The above decision was made by the educational foundation’s founder, businessman Tamaz Bekaia, and its director, Levan Bekaia, in agreement with the rector of the Georgian Technical University, Academician David Gurgenidze.

According to the decision made at the meeting, which is based on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the parties, the beneficiary (scholar) of the Tamaz Bekaia Educational Foundation Scholarship Program, starting from the spring semester of the current academic year, will be the student with the highest ranking in the three faculties of GTU – Construction; Architecture, Urbanism and Design; Agricultural Sciences and Biosystem Engineering – along with the highest-ranking bachelor’s degree holders, as well as the active student of the Faculty of Sustainable Mountain Development who will complete the fall semester with the highest academic performance.

The meeting, which was held at the Georgian Technical University, was also attended by the President of the GTU Supervisory Board, Professor Zurab Gudavadze, Vice-Rectors Tamar Tsereteli and Tamar Lominadze, representatives of the Tamaz Bekaia Educational Foundation – Project Manager Goga Chanadiri and Communications Manager Mariam Tsandishvili.

At the meeting, the parties reviewed the results of the four-year partnership and discussed the possibilities of expanding cooperation. The partnership aims to develop new approaches to supporting and encouraging talented young people. The Foundation representatives spoke about the future goals of the scholarship program and the projects to be implemented.

At the meeting was noted that the Faculty of Sustainable Mountain Development at the Georgian Technical University was established in accordance with the state’s strategic goals in terms of training young mountaineering professionals for high-mountain regions.

Based on the experience of successful European universities, four bachelor programs have been introduced at the faculty, and studies are fully funded by the state.

All four programs – Sustainable Development of Mountain Rural Environment, Sustainable Mountain Tourism and Hospitality Management, Management of Organic Farming Systems in Mountain Regions, and Sustainable Environment and Protection of Natural Hazards – are completely new and unparalleled in Georgia and in neighboring countries.

According to the rector, academician David Gurgenidze, for the Georgian Technical University, which is a flagship in the South Caucasus region in the engineering and technological direction and which also successfully develops humanitarian directions, it is important to have such an opportunity, which implies the inclusion of students with high academic performance in the Tamaz Bekaia Educational Foundation scholarship program.

As the rector noted, along with the state scholarship, obtaining the status of a scholarship holder of an independent educational foundation is a strong incentive for talented and motivated students.

“According to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Georgian Technical University and the Tamaz Bekaia Educational Foundation, with the support of the Government of our country and the Ministry of Education, Science, and Youth of Georgia, a bachelor with the highest ranking and active student status who study in three priority areas can receive a scholarship from the Foundation every semester. These are: the faculties of construction, architecture, urban planning and design, as well as agricultural sciences and biosystem engineering. The scholarship, which the Foundation will provide monthly during the semester, is 300 GEL for each student.

It is noteworthy that once a year, the Foundation also awards a one-time bonus of 1,500 GEL to the applicant with the highest scores in the Unified National Exams, who will become a first-year student with active status. The efforts of the heads of the Educational Foundation, personally its founder – businessman, engineer-economist, and philologist, Mr. Tamaz Bekaia, are appreciated, to expand further the geographical area of higher education institutions, increase the Foundation’s priorities, including in the direction of vocational education, add new specialties, new faculties, new universities. The inclusion of the Faculty of Sustainable Mountain Development of our university in the Foundation scholarship program, as a new priority direction, is a clear confirmation of this.

We appreciate the Foundation’s efforts and consider it a desirable partner in all important areas, including the development of supportive and encouraging approaches to talented students who work hard and study, striving to be the best. Most importantly, both sides are deeply convinced that today’s scholarship holders will become highly qualified specialists and successful researchers, and will use the knowledge they have gained for the country’s welfare. The Foundation’s financial support is intended for such young people. I would like the Foundation partnership with the Georgian Technical University to deepen and expand, again and again, for the benefit of our talented youth and the country. I wish the Foundation, its scholarship holders, and all higher education institutions signing the memorandum success,” said the Rector David Gurgenidze.

The first stream of Tamaz Bekaia Educational Foundation scholarship recipients and award winners was announced in the fall of 2021. Accordingly, as of today, the 7th stream of beneficiaries receives the foundation scholarship at the Georgian Technical University, and in total, 21 scholarship recipients and 4 award winners have been announced.