GTU Representatives Participate in AMRD International Committee Meeting in Austria

Representatives of the Faculty of Mining Geology and Sustainable Mountain Development at the Georgian Technical University, with the support of the company RMG, participated in the Selection Committee meeting of the International Master’s Program in Advanced Mineral Resources Development (AMRD) at Montanuniversität Leoben in Austria as part of a strategic visit.

At the AMRD International Committee meeting, chaired by the Rector of Montanuniversität Leoben, Professor Peter Moser, GTU participated as a member of the international academic and scientific consortium alongside leading technical universities and research centers from around the world.

GTU was represented by Professor Giorgi Khetsuriani of the Faculty of Mining Geology and Sustainable Mountain Development, and Professor Tornike Lipartia, Category A Professor. Giorgi Chkheidze, Deputy General Director of RMG, also participated in discussions regarding the implementation of the practical component of the AMRD program in partnership with GTU.

The member organizations of the international academic and scientific consortium participating in the AMRD International Committee meeting included Montanuniversität Leoben (Austria), TU Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany), Instituto Superior Técnico (Portugal), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Spain), Dnipro University of Technology (Ukraine), McGill University (Canada), UFRGS (Brazil), CUMTB (China), IIT (ISM) Dhanbad (India), ASKTU (Kazakhstan), NSUMT and UGS (Uzbekistan), and the University of Mines and Technology (Ghana).

AMRD International Committee discussions focused on several key areas, including the modernization of mining and geological engineering education, strengthening international academic cooperation, expanding student and research mobility, and enhancing industry-integrated practical training. Participants also discussed the implementation of sustainable mining technologies and the joint development of scientific and research projects, creating new opportunities for knowledge-sharing and innovation among partner universities.

According to Professor Giorgi Khetsuriani, several strategic agreements were reached during the visit to Montanuniversität Leoben within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Georgian and Austrian universities. This practically confirms the real results of the partnership between the Georgian Technical University and the Leoben Mining University.

“First, the Georgian Technical University will be fully integrated into the AMRD program, and following the official invitation of the Vice-Rector of Montanuniversität Leoben, Professor Thomas Prohaska, GTU will become a full partner of the program. The second important agreement concerns the expansion and development of joint bachelor’s and master’s programs in mining, geoengineering, and mechanical engineering in partnership with the Austrian university. The third agreement involves active diplomatic support. Within the framework of the visit, a meeting was held with the Georgian Ambassador to Austria, Mr. Aleksandre Maisuradze. We discussed the importance of the project and the need to strengthen Georgia’s scientific potential in the international arena. The ambassador expressed his support for the Georgian Technical University.

It is important that GTU already holds a strong position in the international educational space in the fields of mining and geoengineering and is actively establishing partnerships with European universities and research centers. These new strategic agreements will significantly promote international mobility for students and young researchers, support joint scientific projects, and strengthen engineering education based on modern technologies.”

  – Professor Giorgi Khetsuriani

According to Professor Tornike Lipartia, a Category A professor at the Faculty of Mining Geology and Sustainable Mountain Development at GTU, the meeting with GTU students currently studying at Montanuniversität Leoben was one of the highlights of the strategic visit. The meeting was attended by Giorgi Chkheidze, Deputy General Director of RMG, and Vakhtang Bluashvili, a student of GTU’s Master’s Program in Geology.

“It should be emphasized that four talented students from the Georgian Technical University are currently studying at Europe’s leading mining university in Leoben with full funding provided by the Austrian institution. We received detailed information about their educational experience and discussed their future employment opportunities in the high-tech projects of the leading mining company RMG.”

  – Professor Tornike Lipartia

According to GTU representatives, the working meetings held during the visit highlighted the strong historical connection between the Georgian Mining School and European educational traditions, particularly the partnerships with TU Bergakademie Freiberg in Germany and Montanuniversität Leoben in Austria.

The discussions also touched on the contributions of prominent Georgian scientists, including Grigol Tsulukidze, founder of the Georgian Mining School and graduate of the Leoben Mining University; Aleksandre Tvalchrelidze, who completed professional training at the University of Göttingen; as well as Konstantine Abashidze, Giorgi Nikoladze, and Irakli Tsereteli, whose European academic experience played a significant role in the development of Georgian engineering disciplines.

At the conclusion of the visit, the GTU delegation, on behalf of the university and its rector, Academician David Gurgenidze, invited representatives of the consortium member organizations to attend the International Educational, Scientific and Industrial Forum in Mining and Geology, scheduled to take place in Tbilisi in the fall of 2026.

The forum will be held at the university premises at the initiative of the Georgian Technical University.