Leading education experts have raised alarms over the suspension of Georgia’s membership in two prominent European quality management organizations – the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR) and the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA).
They warn this development could severely undermine the country’s higher education system.
The experts—Irine Darchia, Lika Glonti, Marine Chitashvili, and Keti Tsotniashvili—highlight that the loss of EQAR and ENQA affiliations signals a failure of Georgia’s higher education quality assurance system to meet European standards.
“This negatively affects the reputation of our education system, erodes trust in it, and damages Georgia’s international image,” their statement reads.
Key consequences outlined include:
International Recognition Risks: Diplomas and credits from Georgian universities may face scrutiny abroad, particularly in European Union and Bologna Process member states.
Joint Degree Programs in Jeopardy: Collaborative international programs offering dual degrees could be at risk.
Decline in Internationalization: A sharp drop in international student enrollment, mobility programs, and educational cooperation is anticipated, impacting both education quality and institutional revenue.
The suspension follows a 2024 assessment by ENQA experts, who identified political interference in the independent functioning of Georgia’s Education Quality Development Center. This breach of European quality standards, experts warn, has allowed the quality assurance system to be misused as a political tool against universities.
Experts further caution that the crisis could escalate if the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) revokes recognition of Georgia’s National Quality Development Center. Such a move would undermine the global credibility of medical education in the country and drastically reduce the number of international students in medical programs, inflicting significant financial damage.
While the European organizations have already decided to suspend Georgia’s memberships, the official announcement is pending publication.
