DUGEOR project was presented, along with the legal and quality assurance frameworks for dual higher education in Georgia. European practices in the areas of quality assurance and the assessment of the “duality” of dual programs were also discussed.
One of the key principles of the General Model for Dual Higher Education is the integration of the university and the company as two interconnected learning environments. Under this approach, workplace learning is not simply an additional internship component of an educational program. Rather, it constitutes an integral part of the program, is linked to defined learning outcomes, and incorporates appropriate mechanisms for mentoring, assessment, monitoring, and quality assurance.
The second part of the conference focused on the practical implementation of institutional models of dual higher education in Georgia.
Within the framework of DUGEOR, five Georgian higher education institutions and their partner organizations presented their respective models and pilot experiences:
- Georgian Technical University (GTU) — in cooperation with the National Forestry Agency;
- Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) — in cooperation with Vengo;
- Batumi Navigation University (BNU) — in cooperation with INTERLOGGEORGIA LTD;
- Telavi State University (TESAU) — in cooperation with Shumi Winery;
- Batumi State Maritime Academy (BSMA) — in cooperation with Wilhelmsen Port Services Georgia.
DUGEOR project was presented, along with the legal and quality assurance frameworks for dual higher education in Georgia. European practices in the areas of quality assurance and the assessment of the “duality” of dual programs were also discussed.
One of the key principles of the General Model for Dual Higher Education is the integration of the university and the company as two interconnected learning environments. Under this approach, workplace learning is not simply an additional internship component of an educational program. Rather, it constitutes an integral part of the program, is linked to defined learning outcomes, and incorporates appropriate mechanisms for mentoring, assessment, monitoring, and quality assurance.
The second part of the conference focused on the practical implementation of institutional models of dual higher education in Georgia.
Within the framework of DUGEOR, five Georgian higher education institutions and their partner organizations presented their respective models and pilot experiences:
- Georgian Technical University (GTU) — in cooperation with the National Forestry Agency;
- Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) — in cooperation with Vengo;
- Batumi Navigation University (BNU) — in cooperation with INTERLOGGEORGIA LTD;
- Telavi State University (TESAU) — in cooperation with Shumi Winery;
- Batumi State Maritime Academy (BSMA) — in cooperation with Wilhelmsen Port Services Georgia.
The experiences presented demonstrated that the common principles of dual higher education can be adapted to different educational programs and professional environments. Accordingly, the purpose of the DUGEOR General Model is not to create identical programs, but to establish a common framework that universities can adapt to the specific needs of their educational programs and industry partners.
An important part of the conference was also dedicated to students’ experiences. Students who participated in the DUGEOR pilot process shared their experiences of learning in the workplace and discussed how knowledge acquired at university can be applied to solving real-world professional challenges.
The day concluded with a panel discussion, during which participants discussed the national prospects for the development of dual higher education in Georgia, future cooperation between universities and industry, and the sustainability of the results achieved through DUGEOR.
The experience gained through the DUGEOR project provides a strong foundation for dual higher education in Georgia to gradually evolve from individual pilot initiatives into a sustainable model, in which the university and the workplace form integral parts of a student’s unified learning process.
