Members

GEORGIAN COLLEGIATE CONSORTIUM

Members

MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

Georgian Collegiate Consortium is a collaborative initiative of Chavchavadze University, one of Georgia's premier higher education institutions, and two public policy research and advocacy organizations, the Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development (CIPDD), and the Partnership for Social Initiative (PSI).

Chavchavadze University

Chavchavadze University is regarded as one of the most progressive institution of higher learning in Georgia. It has almost 2,200 students and offers four specializations-pedagogy, international relations and area studies, translation-interpretation, and journalism. Though the University does not have dormitories, it has a long tradition of accepting and educating students from all parts of Georgia.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Chavchavadze University has developed new academic initiatives, expanded its academic offerings, and initiated partnerships with international educational organizations, building on its long-held position as Georgia's premier institution dedicated to international studies. It is on the verge of launching two new academic specializations-tourism and banking relations.

In the Georgian Collegiate Consortium, Chavchavadze University is represented by its Institute for the Study of Western Thought (ISWT). Chavchavadze University launched ISWT in 1999, as part of its new academic initiatives. ISWT, an entity with full departmental rights and privileges within Chavchavadze University, is primarily dedicated to graduate academic work and social scientific, political and philosophic research. Its graduate students focus on the study of Western democratic values and institutions and democratic development. Since its formation, ISWT has published several book-length studies, conducted several seminars and conferences, and established relations with Georgian and German journals, including "Christian Democracy" (Georgia) and "Bochumer Philosophisches Jahrbuch fur Antiken und Mittelalter" (Germany). It has five graduates students pursuing Ph.D. and Masters degrees.

Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development (CIPDD)

Founded in August 1992, CIPDD is one of Georgia's oldest non-governmental organizations. It is dedicated to promoting democratic and free-market values, publicizing major achievements of Western democratic thought, fostering better understanding between peoples of the Caucasus, and encouraging non-partisan theoretical analysis of problems related to the post-communist transition in Georgia and the Caucasus region.

Among other activities, the Caucasus Institute publishes or has published the following periodicals:

	Georgian Chronicle--monthly bulletin, published between 1992-97, depicted major trends in Georgian political, social and economic life;
	Georgian Digest on Human Rights--daily bulletin examines human rights in Georgia.
	Georgian Press Digest-bulletin of annotated daily headlines of the Georgian press.
	South Caucasian Human Rights Monitor (SCHRM)--electronically distributed publication presents annotated headlines of Georgian, Azerbaijan and Armenian Press.
	Army and Society in Georgia--English language monthly bulletin of the Center for Civil-Military Relations and Security Studies, an affiliate of CIPDD.

Partnership for Social Initiative (PSI)

"Defining Ideas for the Georgian Democracy"

Partnership for Social Initiative (PSI) was founded in Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia, in January 2000 as an independent, nonpartisan, research and educational organization dedicated to the study and advancement of public policy. Through its research, conferences, publications, and seminars, PSI advocates public policy based on the principles of freedom and representative democracy--just government, rule of law, individual liberty and responsibility, pursuit of happiness, private enterprise and the values of virtue, honor and dignity. PSI's fundamental goal is to help develop and advance democratic institutions and values in Georgia.

PSI research takes place in five centers:

	Illia Chavchavadze Center for the Study of Constitutionalism
	Center for the Study of Political Mores and Community Development
	Center for the Study of Social Welfare
	Center for the Study of Free Markets, Competition, and Private Enterprise
	Center for the Study of International Affairs and Foreign Policy

PSI's current projects include the monitoring of the Implementation of the Georgian Administrative Code, development of recommendations for the revision of the Georgian Constitution and translation of Leo Strauss's Natural Right and History into Georgian.