TSU, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Georgia Office Sign Memorandum

Rector of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU), Giorgi Sharvashidze and Head of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Georgia Office, Ia Tikanadze signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on November 16. 

Under the Memorandum, the parties undertake to prepare joint projects in connection with TSU’s 100th anniversary, as well as to translate into Georgian and publish the book by Karl Kautsky “Georgia: A Social-Democratic Peasant Republic, Impressions and Observations.”

 

During the event, Rector of TSU, Giorgi Sharvashidze spoke about the importance of publications by European leftists, in particular German social-democrats in terms of studying the history of the First Republic of Georgia. 

Ia Tikanadze, head of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Georgia Office, spoke about ideological and political relations established between Georgia and Germany a century ago. “Friedrich Ebert was the President of the first Social Democratic Republic of Germany. Thus, it is symbolic that just our foundation supports the release of this publication. European relations of that period should be studied separately, because Georgia achieved a lot during those two or three years,” she noted. 

Zurab Gaiparashvili, head of the TSU Library, focused on the activities of the Center – Library for the Study of Democratic Republic of Georgia as well as on the book by Karl Kautsky. He said: “The Memorandum envisages mutual collaboration in marking the next year’s important events, such as the 100th anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Georgia, as well as the 100th anniversary of our university. This book is extremely important, as it provides insights into Georgia’s history, life, culture and political processes of 1918-1921.”

 

The Memorandum aims at raising awareness of Georgian and foreign students about the Democratic Republic of Georgia, planning and implementing joint projects that will encourage students to learn the Democratic Republic of Georgia as the model of building European social state of the early 20th century period.