On December 5, 2017, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET) and Mgaloblishvili Kipiani Dzidziguri (MKD). This cooperation comprises implementing educational programs, organizing workshops, lectures, and other similar events as well as promoting students’ internships and employment prospects.

ISET Professor Norberto Pignatti recently attended the international IZA/Volkswagen Foundation Workshop: Preferences, Personality Traits, and the Labor Market held in Bertinoro (Italy) on the 6th and 7th of October. Professor Pignatti was invited to present his research about the role of risk preferences in labor market choices in the Georgian labor market.

On 24-25 August 2017, the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET) with the support of the Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance, the Tbilisi State University, and the Italian Embassy in Tbilisi (Georgia) are organizing a Workshop on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The objective is to bring together researchers active in the field and to create an opportunity to generate discussion and interaction between local academics and policymakers and international researchers.

Georgia is a favorable investment destination, with a simple tax code consisting of six flat taxes and a total tax rate of only 16% on commercial profits that are distributed. Georgia was ranked 16th on the World Banks Ease of Doing Business for 2017 (by contrast, Switzerland is No. 31 and Norway No. 6), and No. 13 on the Bribery Risk Scale of the “Trace”, an International Transparency Rank (Switzerland is No. 16 and Norway No. 5). Georgia has signed an Association Agreement with the EU, is a member of WHO, has ratified the Energy Charter Treaty, and signed the New York Convention.

This year’s ISET’s Summer School was composed of a series of lectures, talks by prominent speakers, and debates on the subject of reforms.