Under the US-Georgia Strategic Partnership Charter framework, the US State Department hosted a People and Cultural Exchanges Working Group meeting. The meeting was co-chaired by the Deputy Minister of  Education, Science, Culture and Sport – Irina Abuladze and Deputy Foreign Minister Vaktang Makharoblishvili. The Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Education and Culture - Alicia Woodward, and and Alexander Sokolowski, Deputy Assistant Director of the US Agency for International Development, represented the US side.

Within the framework of the working seminar, the parties discussed the progress of Georgia and the ongoing cooperation between the two countries in the fields of education, culture, strategic communications and civic integration. The parties discussed the needs for further expansion of existing cooperation and relevant plans.

As part of the close partnership between Georgia and the United States, USAID will implement another large-scale, five-year project worth US $7 million. Achieving Student-Centered Education for a New Tomorrow (ASCENT) - The project entails to develop literacy, numeracy, problem solving and critical thinking skills amongst primary level tudents at all general educational institutions, as well as implementing university-level programs, that will promote student-oriented educational environment.

Irina Abuladze: “USAID is launching a new US $7 million educational program that will support ongoing education reform in Georgia and promote the introduction of the New School Model.

Talks at the US-Georgia Strategic Partnership Working Group also focused on expanding the Fulbright program. Owing to the initiative of the American side, the English Language Teaching Assistant (ETA) project will be implemented, which aims to support the process of internationalization of the regional higher education institutions. The project envisages assistance in English language teaching and practice classes, professional development of teachers, creation of an English teaching curriculum / programs for higher education institutions and the improvement of the institutional practice of higher education institutions of Georgia on the path of internationalization. The agreement will be signed in Spring and will be implemented in cooperation with the International Center for Education and Science.