On December 11-12, Ilia State University hosted the first international conference "Third mission role in universities - local and global perspective". The conference was held within the framework of the institutional development project "Strengthening the quality and relevance of the third mission in Georgian universities" (SQUARE) funded by the European Commission.
The aim of the final conference of the SQUARE project was to bring stakeholders of the third mission of the university together in one space and hold discussions from a local and global perspective on such topics as the challenges of the third mission in universities, cooperation with the university municipality, government authorities and their role, university-industry cooperation and universities strong for the community. 110 participants attended the international conference.
Associate Professor Zhuzhuna Gumbaridze, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Natia Tsiklashvili, Head of Legal Department Zhana Jibladze, Head of Public Relations Service Nino Dolidze and Chief Accountant Tamar Meskhidze participated in the conference from Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University.
At the conference, BSU associate professor Zhuzhuna Gumbaridze presented a report on the role of the BSU psychology clinic in the development of society, where they provide psycho-social assistance to children who are victims of violence or are at risk, young people, their family members, people with disabilities and disabled people. Also, in the direction of environmental protection, on the activities of the Institute of Phytopathology and Biodiversity, which serves the monitoring, protection, wise use and public welfare of the biodiversity of the region and the country.
The "Erasmus+" project envisaged the description of the 3M activities of universities, their analysis, strategic planning, implementation and evaluation, taking into account the capabilities of the university's top management and staff. The activities of the project laid the foundation for fundamental changes in the policy of Georgian universities at the institutional level. The results of the project are the basis for updating the national external quality system and provide a basis for updating the management of higher education institutions in the direction of improving the links between teaching, research and services to society.
The third mission of the university refers to the activities of the university that contribute to the social, economic and cultural development of society and are focused on increasing the capabilities of the university community, properly planning the activities of the third mission and evaluating the results.
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