News

From August 30 to September 6, Ilia State University is hosting a delegation from Silesian University in Opava, Czech Republic.

The delegation includes Prof. Tatiana Matulayová, Vice-Rector of Silesian University and Professor at the Faculty of Public Policies; Marta Kolaříková, Dean of the Faculty of Public Policies; Nataša Matulayová, Vice-Dean for Science at the Faculty of Public Policies; and Kateřina Janků, Vice-Dean for International Relations at the Faculty of Public Policies, with expertise in Special Education.

During the visit, the delegation met with the Deans of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Faculty of Education, professors, and doctoral students at Ilia State University, as well as the Director and professors of the Child Development Institute.

The delegation also met with representatives of a field practice organization of the Social Work Program — the LEPL Office of Resource Officers of Educational Institutions, including Ekaterine Dgebuadze, Deputy Head of the Office, and her colleagues. The meetings provided an opportunity to exchange experiences and discuss possibilities for future academic, research, and practice-based cooperation.

Professors Tatiana and Nataša Matulayová have maintained a decade-long academic and scholarly collaboration with Professor Shorena Sadzaglishvili, Head of the Master’s and Doctoral Programs in Social Work at Ilia State University. This collaboration initially began through an Erasmus+ exchange project with Palacký University Olomouc and has developed over the years to include academic exchanges, joint research, and the preparation and publication of co-authored scientific articles.

The current visit of the Silesian University delegation marks a continuation of this long-standing collaboration and creates new opportunities for joint educational and research projects between the two universities.

2026