International fair helps students expand their education

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Georgian students from secondary schools and universities had the chance to learn about several educational opportunities during the International Education Fair 2012. The fair, organized by UK Bridge, a Georgian-British educational organization, presented 29 different study abroad programs to the attendees at the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel on March 3-4.

This year the organizers presented twice the programs they did in the previous year. “There are summer schools, boarding schools and colleges offering English language courses and preparation courses, as well as several universities offering BC, MA, and PhD programs,” says Nutsa Kuridze of UK Bridge.

The fair hosted British and Swiss institutes, including the Cambridge Education Group, Bell Education Trust, EC, INTO Queens University, University of the Arts London, Bradford College, EU, EF and other leading institutions.

The first day of the international education fair was held in Batumi. “We are expecting many more applicants this year,” Kuridze told Georgia Today. “Each year the number of applicants steadily rises. Last year approximately 100 students traveled abroad with our help.” According to Kuridze, the most popular program for students appears to be summer schools. During the holidays, they have an opportunity to go abroad and improve their English language skills.

Ann Dubsidze, a student at state-school number 20, came to look for an appealing summer school. “I think going abroad to study for a short time gives you the chance to see what is happening in another country, and you also get the opportunity to learn about what kinds of people are living there. Maybe my motivation towards my studies will become much improved after that?” continued Ann, adding that last year, her friend attended a summer school in London and his impression influenced her decision to attend this year’s fair.

All you have to demonstrate is sufficient command of English and enough of a budget to afford the tuition fees. As Nutsa Kuridze mentioned, most of the schools and colleges require that students possess an approximate score of 5.5 on their IELTS exams.

BC student, Nino Sokhadze, found Kozminski University’s Business school in Poland suitable to her needs. This program offered her BA, MA and PhD programs. “I have definitely decided to continue my education in Europe. At the moment however, I must decide between Poland and the UK, as both universities have amazing programs,” says Nino.

The costs for university studies were quite different, ranging from between 8,000 EUR and 27,000 EUR per year. As Nino mentioned, the tuition fees are quite high “but this is the cost of your future life,” she said.

Tomasz Jurek, a representative of Kozminski University in Poland, mentioned that last year they had eight students from Georgia. “I think they are very content with our education. Despite providing a good quality education, one of the priorities of our program is that after the MA, students can stay in Poland and work legally. For example, one Georgian girl started working at one of the leading companies as a PR manager after her studies,” he said.

At the International Education Fair, most of the attendees were school-aged students who attended with their parents rather than university students. One of the parents, Levan Andronikashvili came here with his 14 year-old son to find a suitable exchange program. “I am quite concerned about my son’s education, as I think Georgia does not have an excellent education system. I will try my best to afford the costs and get my son into one of the leading colleges,” he told Georgia Today.

By Teona Betlemidze

8.03.2012