An international scientific forum “Remembering the Democratic Republic of Georgia after 100 Years: Model for Europe?” was opened at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) on June 25. The forum is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Georgia and its main topic is Georgia’s independence as an exemplary democracy for Europe of that period. Georgian and foreign professors and researchers are participating in the forum.
Rector of TSU, Giorgi Sharvashidze; First Deputy Minister of Justice, Mikheil Sarjveladze; Director General of the National Archives of Georgia, Teona Iashvili; representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia; Georgian and foreign scientists and invited guests attended the opening ceremony.
Rector Giorgi Sharvashidze said that declaration of independence by Georgia on May 26, 1918 was a successful democratic project. “Today, we can already evaluate the contribution made by the Georgian Democratic Republic to the development of Europe,” he said.
Director General of the National Archives of Georgia, Teona Iashvili said that a very interesting conference and summer school will be organized on the sideline of the forum. “A lot of events are planned to mark the 100th anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Georgia and among them is this international scientific forum. The National Archives of Georgia has been cooperating with TSU for years and we are involved in this event as a co-organizer. We hope that our cooperation will further continue,” she said.
Prof. Mikheil Bakhtadze, one of the organizers of the forum said: “A very important conference and summer school are being held at TSU. Top level Georgian and foreign researchers are participating in the conference. We still remain in the slavery of Soviet information of the period of the First Republic. Therefore, everything that is dedicated to popularization of the First Republic is extremely important.”
Prof. Richard Hovannisian of University of California, who also attended the conference, said that gaining the independence by Georgia in 1918 was a huge step ahead, adding that the interference of foreign forces prevented the country from achieving a final solution, but the Republic of Georgia exerted great influence on future generations.
The forum has been organized by TSU, the National Archives of Georgia, the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia, the National Museum of Georgia and the American Research Institute of the South Caucasus (ARISC). The event is being supported by Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation.
13 Georgian and 8 foreign students and young researchers, who were selected through the competition, will participate in the international summer school that will be held on the sideline of the forum.
The scientific forum will last till June 30.
