METEOR Project: Statement of Solidarity with our colleagues in Georgia

Recent events in Georgia are making it difficult or impossible for our colleagues at Ilia State University and elsewhere to go about their professional activities, by suppressing academic freedom and reducing the role of higher education. We therefore condemn recent moves to restrict institutional, personal, and academic freedom in Georgia. We will continue to do whatever is possible to support our friends and colleagues in this beautiful country.

For many years, we have enjoyed close cooperation with Georgian academics and universities such as ISU. The intention of transnational projects such as METEOR is to enhance skills, and to promote networking, trust and knowledge exchange across borders. This has been enormously effective in stimulating research, innovation and support, nationally and transnationally, over several decades. Our ISU colleagues have already made a highly significant impact on the work of METEOR and we are committed to increasing this contribution.

The current direction of higher education policy in Georgia will reverse advances already achieved. All forms of education, including the university system, benefit from exposure to different perspectives and practices. Any system that withdraws from transnational cooperation and exchange is likely to fall behind its competitors. In METEOR, we have seen a surge in creative thinking and problem-solving capacity as a result of bringing together international doctoral students and early-career researchers to work on innovative proposals. Participating in these activities is, and should continue to be, productive for the people of Georgia and for all our futures. We politely ask the Georgian authorities to reconsider their divisive actions.