Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research suspended Georgian-German scientific collaboration, including student mobility programs, research initiatives, and Georgia’s participation in EU-supported academic projects. This decision is a response to increasing international concerns over Georgia’s restrictions on academic freedom, and the country’s halting its EU membership process.
Peter Fischer, German Ambassador to Georgia, announced the decision through social media platform X, pointing to its possible impacts on Georgian scholars. “Those who have studied at German universities with German scholarships understand the significance of this loss,” he stated.
“The Federal Ministry of Education and Research of Germany has halted the development of Georgian-German scientific cooperation, including student mobility, research, and Georgia’s participation in European Union programs, due to the restriction of academic freedom in Georgia and the suspension of its EU membership process. The current funding allocated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, nearly 1 million euros for Georgia, remains unchanged. Additionally, this does not yet affect our scholarship programs, including the DAAD program, but Germany is closely monitoring all aspects of its relationship with Georgia with regret and is considering them,” the Ambassador noted.
The existing fund, nearly EUR1 million, is unchanged and scholarship programs such as DAAD are not yet affected by the decision. However, Fischer noted that “Germany is closely monitoring all aspects of its relationship with Georgia with concern and evaluating its future approach.”
