Goals & Mission

• Lead and promote the Nationalism Studies direction in Georgia via acting as a hub of academic and semi-academic discussions on the relevant issues in the country.
• Promote the knowledge, up-to-date research, and discussions on matters related to broadly defined field of nationalism and ethnicity among students as well as the wider public.
• Establish a multi-disciplinary network of scholars and practitioners interested in the related issues with a Geographic focus on South Caucasus, Central and Eastern Europe as well as Russia.
• Provide a platform for uniting local and connecting international researchers via research, public lectures and conferences, and expand regional and international cooperation for exchanging knowledge and best practices.
• Collect and disseminate relevant information on events, conferences, publications or public lectures related to these study fields.
• Encourage academic and semi-academic research and publications via providing a platform for peer-review and publishing.
• Contribute to incorporating the research and studies of and about post-Soviet South Caucasian states into that of Central and Eastern European space.

In pursuit of these goals and mission, the center encompasses several working directions:

• Provide digital and physical library available for the students, faculty of the UG School of Social Sciences as well as to the UG NESC network and affiliated researchers.
• Hold public lectures and take part in organizing holding conferences with the local and international partners;
• Expand regional and international connections that will enable students and faculty to exchange information and teaching practices.
• Offer a minor program in nationalism studies to the students of International Relations and Politics at UG School of Social Sciences.
• Publish op-eds and analytical papers pursued by the network and affiliated researchers as well as aspiring students.
• Apply for a research grant or participate in a policy-oriented programs by providing the research-based analysis.

About the University of Georgia

The University of Georgia, a biggest private high educational center in Georgia, bringing together up to eight thousand students in six independent departments/schools (social sciences, law, technology, humanities, business administration, and health science). Since its entry into the national system of education the university grew rapidly and increasingly established itself as an attractive educational center in the region, attracting more than 500 international students annually from various regions of the globe. This tendency was especially noticeable by the rapid growth of student number from countries such as Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Israel, Pakistan, India, and Nigeria. Thanks to the suitable geographic location of Georgia, its cultural mosaic serving as a bridge between the Europe and Asia, and liberties provided by the society undergoing deep liberal democratic transition, more and more young women and men from the neighboring regions decide to come and study here.

The UG offers a big advantage to its students by joining the educational programs that share the highest European educational standards and are fully recognized by EU-countries. The UG is highly engaged internationally and pursues the objective of developing tailored educational programs for the students/scholars across the region and furthermore, to strengthening values of liberal and open societies worldwide

About the School of Social Sciences

The School of Social Sciences can be proud of its fruitful cooperation with local, regional and global think-tanks, non-governmental institutions and universities and is actively engaged in academic and policy relevant discussions in the fields of contemporary global and regional security challenges, globalization and transparency. In 2019 it launched a discussion platform, initially titled the UG Security Conference 2019 and ultimately transformed into the UG Security Platform (UGSP), within which the most acute issues of regional security can be discussed and policy recommendations formulated.

Established in 2004, the School of Social Sciences (UGSS) of the University of Georgia (UG) is a leader in providing best academic curricula and training in the areas of political science, international relations, journalism, strategic communications and psychology. The UG spent significant efforts in providing best academic and infrastructural standards in line with the modern requirements. The UGSS in particular puts a great emphasis on the healthy mix between the value of innovative study approaches and the benefits of traditional teaching. Students are offered the variety of opportunities to put test their knowledge in the practice, undergo training and internships, and acquire skills and knowledge, in the specific study areas critical for future employment