Niko Berdzenishvili Research Institute is the legal successor of the Research Institute, founded in 1958 by the National Academy of Sciences. Since 2011 it became part of the Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University.

Over half a century of its existence, the Institute boasts rich scientific methodology and cultural heritage in such scientific fields, such as ethnography (ethnology), archeology, history, folklore, literature research and emigrant dialectology, folklore, economics, sociology. These sectors are still studied even today, in the southwest of the country.

The scientific study is reflected in more than 2,000 published papers, field collections, monographs, booklets.

The institute published throughout 1977-2012 four-volume Essays on the History of the South-West Georgia devoted to Adjara, which covers the period from ancient times to 1990. Presently, the institute works on folk-dialectal materials, the first volume of which – ‘Treasury of Adjara’ has been published.

In 2009, the task force of the Institute prepared and published a book-album ‘Adjara’. The book was released in 2011 for the second time.

The Institute has at its disposal rich collection of rare books, the stacks of the scientific library count more than 20 000 units: books, expedition diaries, annual papers, photo-illustrations, in Georgian and foreign languages, ready for use by undergraduate, master's and doctoral students.

Through 1997-2005 Georgian Academy of Sciences funded 15 grant projects of the Institute.

In 2008 the Institute received grant of the National Science Foundation.

Structure

The Institute consists of three departments and the administration, which brings together 28 employees. Administration includes 4 man. Direction of stations: History and Archaeology, Ethnology and sociological research, folklore, literature research and dialectology Emigrant.

History and Archaeology Department

Ethnology and Social Research Department

Folklore, Dialectology and Emigrant Literature Research Division.

Niko Berdzenishvili Research Institute works on the focal areas of study: Adjara and South-West of Georgia, ethnography (ethnology), archeology, folklore and dialectology, sociology, tourism. The Institute annually organizes scientific expeditions in Adjara and elsewhere (Georgian regions in Turkey) organizes and participate in international conferences.