Founded in 1994 as an innovative joint Western-oriented project between the United States and the Government of Georgia, the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) started with one Master’s degree in Public Administration to train qualified public servants in Georgia.
At first, professors from leading American Universities led the Master’s program and provided textbooks, trainings and workshops to Georgian professors to share their knowledge and experience, by participating in the program management. Gradually, the American academic personnel were replaced with highly qualified Georgian professors, who were equipped with western knowledge and modern teaching methods and skills.
Since then, through interactive education programs, trainings and consultations, the university has been playing an important role in developing good governance at the central, municipal, and local levels for more than two decades.
Currently, GIPA has four schools (School of Law and Politics, School of Government, School of Social Sciences, School of Journalism and Media Management) to offer 10 Bachelor’s, 11 Master’s, vocational education programs, training courses, consultations, and a PhD program in Social Sciences.
The curricula of university programs are developed based on the values of democracy and freedom of expression. It provides students with theoretical knowledge as well as practical skills through the integration of research and interactive teaching principles, with the mission of raising new leaders who can actively participate in building democracy, promulgate liberal values and promote freedom for all in Georgia.
The university continues its successful international cooperation with 38 academic exchange programmes and 70 partner universities across US and Europe.
Nowadays GIPA counts around 3000 graduates, and 90% of them are successfully employed in public and business sectors, also at private, non-governmental and international organizations.
Apart from the graduate degree programs and certified training courses, GIPA successfully implements different kinds of research and training projects and manages the first English-language and student-run Radio GIPA.
The Erasmus+ program only applies to teachers
