The Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia visited Kutaisi International University (KIU). Together with the Prime Minister, the 153-hectare state-of-the-art academic buildings, libraries, cafeterias, well-equipped sports and road infrastructure, dormitories and student dormitories were opened by the Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport, Mikheil Chkhenkeli, Ministry of Health, Ekaterina Tikaradze, University Rector Alexander Tevzadze and Chairman of the Board of the Cartu Charitable Foundation, Niko Chkhetiani. The event was also attended by local government officials.

Mikheil Chkhenkeli: “I would like to inform you with great joy that an active academic life will start at Kutaisi International University in September - the university will receive its first stram of students and we are all looking forward to the day when the university will finally open its doors.

Kutaisi International University is a truly world-class university, the author of the idea and entire concept belongs to Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili. A university of this rank and scale could not have existed in Georgia had it not been for the extremely important charity of Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili and his family, which amounts to EUR 1 bln.

This year we will be taking students in three disciplines – Mathematics, Computer Science and Management. Other faculties/disciplines will be added every year. I would like to emphasize that the academic programs are based on the programs of the Technical University of Munich and this tradition will continue - all further academic programs will be based on the academic programs of one of the leading universities in the world.

Also, I would like to tell you that the lectures at the university, together with the Georgian professors, will be read by the professors of the world's leading universities, both in the auditoriums and using the online mode. The online method allows us to actively involve Georgian scientists working abroad in the academic life and scientific research process of our university.

Scientific-research process will be a crucial aspect of our university. All disciplines will be presented at its highest level. Additionally, there will be another extremely important project on the premises – The Hadron Therapy Center, that is currently under construction. At this stage, two ultra-modern cyclotrons will be located, and one of them will be used to treat cancer and the other for oncology diseases, while conducting valuable research in this regard. The assembly of these cyclotrons is already underway at one of the world's leading companies IBA. This project is worth 40 million euros and is fully funded by the Cartu Foundation. These studies will be led by the world's leading scientists together with their Georgian peers.

The University operates a Student Grants Fund to fund tuition, student housing and student scholarships. All lectures will be in English. Subsequently, our students will master the specialty in English. Obviously, foreign professors will be involved from the very beginning of the first semester. Our German friends and colleagues, renowned professors who will reside on campus, are already arriving in September.All the conditions are created for learning, here at this university. Students will have the most comfortable learning environment.

In the 2020-2021 academic year, more than 1,000 students have registered to apply to KIU.