Based on the “one city - one faculty” principle, which he describes as flawed and harmful and for which there is no analogue in the capitals or major cities of any civilized country, irreparable damage is being inflicted on higher education, Tbilisi State University lecturer Iago Kachkachishvili wrote on social media.

According to Kachkachishvili, the authorities have turned university education into “a hostage of a backward labor market.”

“Today’s government decision will remain a black mark in Georgia’s university life. Future generations will be taught by this very example what it means to dismantle and destroy universities.

The cold, makeshift lie of ‘Georgian Dream’: they claim the number of students will increase by 2,000 this year. At the same time, they are dramatically reducing quotas in various specialties. For example, they argue that universities annually admitted up to 2,600 students in social and political sciences, while the real demand was for only 400 graduates (that is, six times fewer). The dramatic reduction of quotas affects almost all specialties. So how exactly will the number of students increase?

The ruling force claims that a labor market study (which no one has seen, despite persistent requests) dictated the need to impose quotas on specialties. If the already impoverished labor market becomes even poorer tomorrow, as thousands of projects will no longer be implemented in Georgia, what then? Will universities be retrained to produce ‘bottle blowers’ (in the words of Gia Volski)?

This is how university education has been turned into a hostage of a backward labor market, so that it too becomes backward - and fully controlled by the government!” Kachkachishvili wrote.

For context, the Minister of Education outlined which state universities will announce admissions for which faculties.

Tbilisi State University will admit students in exact and natural sciences; humanities (excluding pedagogy); law; economics and business administration; and social and political sciences.

Georgian Technical University will announce admissions for engineering and technical disciplines.

Tbilisi State Medical University will admit students in medical specialties.

Ilia State University will admit students to pedagogy programs and STEM specialties with ABET accreditation.

Sokhumi State University will admit students to agricultural programs, Georgian-Abkhaz language and literature, and pedagogy programs.

Art universities and the Sports University will admit students to their respective specialties.

Universities in Batumi and Kutaisi will maintain a multifunctional profile.

Universities in Zugdidi, Gori, Akhaltsikhe, and Telavi will focus on agricultural specialties, tourism, and pedagogy.

At this stage, according to the government-approved decree, agricultural programs will temporarily remain under Georgian Technical University, with admissions announced under its name. However, a reorganization process will begin in the coming days, and within a few months, the agricultural direction will be transferred to Sokhumi State University.

Accordingly, in the 2026-2027 academic year, newly admitted students to agricultural faculties will begin their studies at Sokhumi State University, Minister Givi Mikanadze stated at a briefing held at the Government Administration.