This Wednesday, February 10th, Aleksi Aleksishvili, CEO and Chairman of the Policy and Management Consulting Group (PMCG), awarded need-based scholarships to two first-year students – Kristine Bakradze and Tinatin Mumladze. As ISET is a premier graduate education and research institution in the South Caucasus, producing dozens of top-notch young economists every year, PMCG scholarship is a great investment not only in the human capital of Kristine and Tinatin but also in the future of Georgia and the South Caucasus generally.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Alexishvili emphasized the importance for small countries like Georgia to be as open as possible, attracting high-quality human capital from all over the world. He gave the example of his own company, PMCG, which is able to compete in the regional and global markets for policy and management consulting by virtue of employing European and Australian nationals. “In conditions of very scarce natural resources, limited geopolitical and human resources we need more liberal approaches for the high-quality workforce” – stated Mr. Aleksishvili.

Mr. Aleksishvili has 15 years of experience in the fields of public finance and economic development. In 2004-2007, he held senior government positions as minister of economic development and, later, finance. Since retiring from government in 2007, he has been advising governments and international organizations on fiscal policy, tax, customs, and “doing business” reforms.

PMCG’s donation of need-based scholarships to ISET students closes an important circle. Back in 2005-6, Mr. Aleksishvili was part of a small group of Georgian reformers who worked with the late Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania to create a donor coalition and establish the International School of Economics at the Tbilisi State University.