Three Lead Economists from the ISET Policy Institute – Davit Keshelava, Mariam Lobjanidze, and Giorgi Papava – participated in the prestigious Growth Academy 2025, held in Bucharest, Romania, from May 22 to 24, 2025. The event, jointly organized by the World Bank, the University of Chicago, and the National Bank of Romania, brought together leading academics, policymakers, and development practitioners from across the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) region.

The Media Polarization Index remained high in February, influenced by restrictive laws that suppress demonstrations, controversial regulations affecting the media, and a Foreign Agents Registration Act-like (FARA) law. In addition, significant events such as a major tragedy in Batumi, heavy snowfall in Guria, and developments in Trump's foreign policy contributed to the polarized environment.

In January, several significant events marked Georgia's political landscape: journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli's arrest and subsequent hunger strike, an assault on Giorgi Gakharia, Donald Trump's inauguration, the European Union's suspension of visa-free travel for Georgian diplomatic passport holders, and Georgian Dream's withdrawal from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Political polarization remained at high levels, showing no improvement from previous years.

On Tuesday, 26th November, ISET Policy Institute hosted an insightful seminar by Dr. Christophe Cordonnier, a distinguished international expert in Historical Economics. The event, organized in collaboration with the French Georgian University, took place at ISET in Tbilisi and brought together a diverse audience of academics, students, and professionals.

PMCG and ISET Policy Institute organized a validation workshop for their joint research project "Sub-sector/Value Chain Analysis for Georgian SME Export Growth." The event took place on November 14, 2024, at the Courtyard by Marriott in Tbilisi.