Ilia State University Granted Six Year Authorization Following Months-Long Dispute
The Authorization Council has granted Ilia State University a six-year unconditional authorization, resolving a months-long dispute over its status. The decision, announced by the University on March 12, comes after the university’s appeal, filed in late December 2024, was accepted by the Tbilisi Appeals Committee. The appeal led to a reconsideration of the case, reversing a previous ruling of the Authorization Council on September 27 that had imposed conditional authorization of a one-year monitoring period.
The dispute dates back to September 27, 2024, when Iliauni publicly challenged the Authorization Council’s decision for granting conditional authorization, arguing that this decision contradicted the accreditation expert group’s June assessment, which had given the University high marks across all required standards.
In a statement at the time, the university expressed its strong disagreement, stating, “We fundamentally disagree with this decision of the Council and will certainly appeal to the Appeals Committee as soon as we receive the minutes and decision of the Council.”
Some experts had suggested the original authorization restrictions were politically motivated. The university and its administration have been outspoken critics of the GD government, with the University refusing to sign a statement condemning students’ academic boycott during protests against the Foreign Agents Law.
Iliauni was also among one of the first educational institutions to publicly condemn the GD government’s crackdown on demonstrators. “We, the Academic and Representative Councils of Ilia State University, express our deep concern over the extraordinary brutality directed toward our youth in recent days. We strongly condemn the violence against demonstrators who courageously stand in defense of Georgia’s European future,” the university wrote on social media.
The Rector of the University, Nino Doborjginidze, has also been an active supporter of Georgia’s EU path. Her Facebook wall reflects her support for pro-EU protests, including her public backing of detained journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli, founder of media outlets Netgazeti/Batumelebi.
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