Abstract:

This paper is dedicated to the University-Enterprise cooperation at the technological faculties of the Georgian Regional Universities. According to international experience, this cooperation, at various levels, involves Enterprise involvement in planning and development of higher education programs. The authorised universities participating in this study have created the mechanisms to update and modernise curriculum (with the participation of the Enterprise), as well as various structural units (whose activities are directly or indirectly related to the Enterprise).

Despite continuous reforms in the education system, there is still a low-product labour market in Georgia that is a result of the so-called knowledge devaluation (vertical inconsistency), mismatch between the type of work demanded on the modern labour market and the professions that young people get today at higher education institutions (Amashukeli, 2017). The international and local studies highlight absence of communication between education and enterprises in the post-soviet countries.

There are several studies on University-Enterprise cooperation implemented in Georgia (Darchia I, Andguladze N, Bregvadze T, Amashukeli N, Javakhishvili N). They mainly single out few aspects of cooperation. These aspects are: the impact of higher education on the formation of workforce, the strategic development of higher education and science in Georgia, the possibilities of research commercialization in Georgia, the role of universities in the development of the region etc. The facets of this topic are reflected in different researches carried out by the International Institute of Policy, Planning and Management of Education, in the steps taken by the Government of Georgia, documents, regulations and strategies issued by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. The strategy 2017-2021 states that despite many reforms, educational programs mismatch the employment market needs. The challenge is to develop programs and research so that the graduates are equipped with the competencies necessary for the market, and the research to be relevant to the demand of the market and the state through which the university would perform its third mission - to serve the public and promote the region's economic development.

Considering the research topic, an attention was paid to the description of the cooperation practice between technological faculties of the regional universities of Georgia and enterprises. It should be mentioned that the authorized universities participating in the research have created the curricula revision mechanisms (with the participation of enterprise) in line with new standards of authorization and accreditation as well as various structural units (whose activities are directly or indirectly related to enterprises). In this thesis the real involvement of the enterprise representatives (employer, entrepreneur, partner) in the modernization of the academic program is studied. The research also focused on the analysis of other components of University – Enterprise cooperation: joint seminars, forums, joint research, commercialisation of research outcomes, publication of joint articles and the implementation of the third mission of the university by the Georgian Regional Universities.

Keywords:

University, Enterprise, cooperation, curricula modernization.