From Chancellor’s Elections to Rector’s Resignation - Tbilisi State University Awaiting Changes

Christine Pakhomov

Rector of the Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University [TSU] Lado Papava resigned on March 30; the Council of Academicians satisfied his resignation application. However, he will stay on the position before May 1, 2016. A day before the members of the students’ self-government stopped hunger-strike.

Before the rector resigned, students’ movement Auditoria 115 held protest rallies and called on the rector to stay on the position and the Council of Academicians to get dissolved. However, initially the main request of the students movement was prompt reorganization of the self-government through the amendments of the Law on Education.

The TSU students started protest demonstrations on March 7. They protested participation of 75 members of the students’ self-government in the training on Project Cycle Management and Strategy Management in Bakuriani, which cost the TSU budget 24 600 GEL.

During the two-month protest rallies the students protested the candidature of Giorgi Gaprindashvili, who was nominated for the position of the Senate Chancellor; he was member of the self-government. Later, Gaprindashvili’s candidature was cancelled.

Giorgi Arobelidze, member of the Auditoria 115, told humanrights.ge that the Council of Academicians had breached the law, when they elected the second candidate without competition.

“Big part of students did not like the candidate because of his background. We believe systemic changes are needed in the University and these changes should refer to the election rules of the rector too. We also think it is necessary to change the rules of electing the Council of Academicians and number of its members shall be increased. We already work with the representatives of the Ministry of Education about these issues. After the amendments are enforced, I think the Council of Academicians shall have their authority suspended. The students created groups and soon we will present the draft law to the Ministry,” Giorgi Arobelidze said.

Chairman of the students’ self-government Shalva Sabauri said the accusations of the students movement Auditoria 115 are dilettante and states that the Bakuriani project was approved by the rector and it was not within the authority of the self-government to fund any project. “As per my relation with the former candidate Giorgi Gaprindashvili, I had business relation with him like with other administrative bodies in the University.” 

Shalva Sabauri also commented on the students’ request to resign the rector. He said the TSU rector hid the presence of the ODRs (Active Reserve Officers) institute in the University. “Head of the ODRs, certain Colonel Kublashvili, was hired as an advisor to the Chancellor by Papava, while he was a rector. The society receives purposeful disinformation.”

The Minister of Education Tamar Sanikidze met the students during ongoing protest rallies. She told media it was important that the Council of Academicians properly implemented its duties in similar situation. “We all saw the ongoing processes. We saw that the Council, the rector and students participated in it. I think, now it is important that the Council implemented its functions properly and consider all significant issues carefully to ensure adequate working environment in the University. If we forget our past, it will be very bad. I can directly declare that we will not support it.”

A member of the Council of Academicians Professor Mariam Gersamia quitted the Council during protest demonstration. 

“I, Mariam Gersamia, today will stand where students will never be divided into a self-government and opposite groups. It is the auditoria, where I will deliver my lecture as a professor and not as a member of the Council. I am the professor of the University, I stay where my students are and where they will not be segregated. Yes, I quit the Council of Academicians. I see my role besides the students, where they have unity and solidarity to the main issues. I declare my solidarity to all students despite their positions,” Mariam Gersamia made a statement on March 16, on air of the TV-Company Rustavi 2. 

Professor Gogi Gogsadze also quitted the Council of Academicians.

On the same day, on March 16, the Auditoria 115 stopped protest demonstrations to resume the educational process in the University; however they may resume the demonstrations unless their requirements are satisfied.

The Ministry of Education invited the students to start dialogue, where representatives of both the Auditoria 115 and self-government participated.

On March 29, the members of the self-government resumed hunger-strike with the request of the rector’s resignation and dissolution of the Council of Academicians. On March 30 the protest stopped because one of their main requests was satisfied – TSU rector Lado Papava resigned.