The VET reform assessment was conducted on October 4, 2017. According to the Government Survey, 80% of the 2013-2017 Action Plan, and 50% of the entire reform, which is scheduled to last until 2020, have been implemented. The survey also showed how the reform, including the launch of the dual education system, which took off in 2013 revamped the whole structure of the vocational education system.

Based at the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET), the ISET Policy Institute (ISET-PI) is one of the first university-based think tanks in the South Caucasus. ISET-PI complements the educational mission of ISET by delivering training, conducting research and analysis, expressing views on policy, and providing a professional platform for policy discussions and debates.

ISET-PI trains Competition Agency of Georgia Staff in the basics of econometrics and STATA. The objective of the training is to strengthen the capacity of the Competition Agency staff to use STATA to conduct independent data analysis, run OLS regressions and interpret robust results.

ISET-PI researcher Laura Manukyan of the Social Policy Research Center is excited to share her experience gained through professional development programs over the summer. She participated in two international summer schools, entitled “Inequality of Educational Opportunities” and “BRICS Global Business and Innovations”, organized by the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow and St. Petersburg respectively. Both included lectures, practical sessions, as well as group projects.

On June 22, 2017, the Agricultural Policy Research Center (APRC) of the ISET Policy Institute organized a meeting with former Agricultural Concentration students. As is well-known, the APRC was established at the ISET Policy Institute in July 2014 with a three-year grant from USAID to enhance synergy between policy research, professional training, and teaching activities, capitalizing on the institutional strengths of ISET and ISET-PI.