In the world of the 21st century, the number of people living without electricity in their homes is 1.3 billion. Even among those who have access, many do not own basic assets such as refrigerators, motorized transport, or washing machines. However, it is anticipated that over the next several decades, wide-scale poverty alleviation programs, as well as continued economic growth, will lift the incomes of many of the world’s poor.

On September 27, 2017, the first assessment of Pension Reform was conducted, within “ReforMeter”. Based on the Government Survey, 38.8% of the reform is already implemented. At this stage, the reform concept is elaborated and approved by the Government. In October, the draft law will be publicly available. The pension fund functions and obligations are formulated. The regulatory body is defined. Pension system operating rules are designed.

Between October 4th and 5th, ISET’s Irakli Kochlamazashvili attended the Fifth Panel of the Eastern Partnership on Agriculture and Rural Development, which took place in Yerevan, Armenia.

On October 3, 2017, ISET Policy Institute Executive Director Lasha Labadze made a presentation at the conference "Modern Educational Programs to Support Agribusiness Development,” organized by East European University within the International Scientific Festival, planned by the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia.

On 26 September, the World Economic Forum published The Global Competitiveness Report 2017–2018. The full report contains detailed profiles and rankings for 137 countries based on 2016 data.