The proposed merger of Tbilisi State University (TSU) and Georgian Technical University (GTU) is driven by the whims and obsessions of specific individuals and serves as a tool for demonstrating power, according to education expert Lika Glonti, speaking on PalitraNews’ program “Resume.”

Glonti stated that the government’s goal is to establish control over the higher education system.

“The merger of TSU and GTU is evidence that rational thinking is absent here. This is the personal whim and obsession of certain individuals, a means to demonstrate power. The overall objective is to impose governmental control over the higher education system and marginalize independently thinking professors. Why they started with the Technical University, I cannot say with certainty, but this will inevitably continue; this is just one episode. Over the past few weeks… I do not believe the government will back down. Apologies, but this affects everyone - supporters, opponents, academic staff, the elderly, and the young,” Glonti said.

According to Glonti, what the government is doing is not reform but destruction.

“Controlling the system is probably a secondary or tertiary goal. If someone had told me two years ago that this would happen, I would have called them conspiracy theorists. Based on today’s reality, the task is system destruction. They have told us this several times openly. Volski said they do not want people with higher education; they want ‘glass blowers.’ What they are doing is not reform but destruction. They will take it to a level where nothing can be restored; everything will be destroyed,” Glonti emphasized.