The Minister of Education and Science of Georgia, Mikheil Chkhenkeli, held an introductory meeting with the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to Georgia, Maria Theodorou, during which the parties discussed the details of existing and future cooperation in the field of education.

Mikheil Chkhenkeli informed Maria Theodorou about the main mega-project of the education system - Kutaisi International University and during the conversation he focused on its development prospects. The minister emphasized that the author of the idea and concept of the university belongs entirely to Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili. It was as a result of his and his family's extremely important philanthropy that a world-class academic and scientific-research space emerged in the country.

According to Mikheil Chkhenkeli, the high standard and degree of internationalization of the university is determined by the approach that provides for the creation of academic programs in a specific field in cooperation with the world's leading universities. The minister noted that the programs currently operating at the university are similar to those of the Technical University of Munich. According to him, the cooperation with the world's leading universities will continue actively in the future and new academic programs for all three levels of education will gradually appear in the higher educational institution. It should be noted that the lectures at the Kutaisi International University are given by Georgian professors as well as foreigners, and the doors of the university are open to Greek professors and students as well.

Mikheil Chkhenkeli also noted that with the funding of the "Kartu" foundation, a Hadron therapy centre will be established on the premises of the Kutaisi International University, where international scientific circles will be involved in the process of conducting research in the direction of oncology and proton therapy. According to the minister, in case of interest, Greek scientists will also have the opportunity to participate in the research process. The ultra-modern cyclotrons of the Hadron therapy centre have already been installed by the world's leading manufacturer of proton therapy equipment for cancer treatment – IBA. It should be noted that one cyclotron will be entirely intended for scientific research in medical and nuclear physics, while the other will be used for cancer treatment. According to the minister, the fact that one cyclotron will be used entirely for research causes special interest from the international scientific community. This is evidenced by the fact that many famous foreign scientists have already expressed their desire to participate in the research process together with Georgian scientists.

On his part, the Ambassador of Greece gave a positive assessment to the ongoing mega-project in the education system of Georgia and expressed her readiness to cooperate with the Ministry in this direction.

During the meeting, the conversation also touched on issues of cooperation between Georgian and Greek scientists and researchers through the implementation of joint scientific research projects within the framework of the European Union's new research and innovation framework program Horizon Europe. In addition, the parties discussed the cooperation between Georgia and Greece in the direction of higher education and implementation of joint projects for the promotion of Greek culture at Georgian schools.