ISET is pleased to announce the creation of two new need-based scholarships thanks to a generous donation by the Community Project Committee (CPC) from the International Women’s Association-Georgia (IWA Georgia). IWA Georgia is a local NGO that supports children, disabled persons, women, and the elderly, particularly those who are at risk due to poverty, poor health, or other factors.

ISET is happy to announce that Mariam Menteshashvili was promoted to a new position at the Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE). Mariam graduated from ISET with a concentration in International Trade in 2011. Before her promotion, she had been working in the International Project Coordination and Accounting Department of GSE. In this department, her responsibilities were to prepare tender documentation and monitor agreements concerning projects.

Distinguished ISET graduate and recent recipient of a Doctorate of Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, Salome Baslandze has recently been awarded a tenure track professorship at the Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance (EIEF) in Rome, Italy. There she will be teaching classes and continuing her research on growth, technological change, firm dynamics, and the dynamics of innovation.

We are excited to announce the official establishment of the ISET Alumni Association. The association will serve our growing network of distinguished alumni and help the entire ISET family to enhance their professional networks, and to catalyze initiatives among Georgia’s best and brightest young economists.

ISET kicked off its 2015-16 school year this Monday, August 31 with an orientation session for incoming students. ISET faculty, staff, and researchers warmly greeted the students and gave them a sense of what they can expect out of their next two years of study. ISET Dean of Students, Sopha Gujabidze spoke about the program’s rigor, encouraging students to study hard in their time in the program, but also detailed the close-knit alumni community, and all of the former students’ impressive accomplishments.