The first laureate of the award was revealed on March 31, commemorating the birthday of the first President of the Republic of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia,

The award was given to Professor David Kolbaia, Professor at the Department of Oriental Studies of the Center for Eastern European studies at the Faculty of Caucasian studies , at Warsaw University.

Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia, Mikheil Chkhenkeli:

"Today is the birthday of one of the most important figures in our recent  history, the first President of Georgia, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, and today, we are celebrating the anniversary of the March 31, 1991 referendum on the restoration of Georgia’s independence, attained under his leadership.

In 2019, on the 80^th anniversary of Zviad Gamsakhurdia, in order to immortalize his virtues, the Georgian government established the Zviad Gamsakhurdia Award for the Development of Kartvelology for Scientists working abroad. The award, which is given every year on his birthday, covers research in the fields of linguistics, literature, history, archeology, ethnography / ethnology, culture, and art.

We congratulate Mr. David Kolbaia and thank him for his hard work in the development of Kartvelology and for strengthening his reputation in the international scientific arena.

In 2019, owing to the decision of Government of Georgia, in honor of Zviad Gamsakhurdia's 80^th anniversary, the Zviad Gamsakhurdia Award for Development of Georgian Studies was established for scientists working abroad. The Award is presented on the 31^st of March of every year on the birthday of Zviad Gamsakhurdia.

LEPL Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia held a competition for the Award the First President of the Republic of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia, which aims at popularizing Georgian studies and encourages scientists abroad for their significant achievements in the field of Kartvelology.

Representatives of Georgian higher education institutions, academic and scientific faculty members of numerous scientific institutes, and well-known scientists working in the field of Kartvelology were revealed to be the competition committee members.

The winner of the competition will receive a diploma, a special prize and a cash prize of GEL 8,000 from the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia.