NEWS

From May 2026, Ilia State University got involved in a new project “CitiSense: making sense of EU enlargement for, with, and by citizens” within the framework of Horizon Program.

The project is coordinated by European University Institute (Italy) and has Maastricht University as a Scientific Lead. Project consortium consists of 16 members, among them are following higher education institutions, think tanks and civil society organizations: Central European University (CEU) (Austria), the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany), Stockholm University (Sweden), Comenius University Bratislava (Slovakia), the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (Ukraine), Ilia State University (Georgia), SWPS University (Poland), International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) (Estonia), the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) (Italy),  the Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) (Germany), the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) (Belgium), the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) (Belgium), the Institute for European Policies and Reforms (IPRE) (Moldova), and the Institute for Democracy “Societas Civilis” Skopje (IDSCS) (North Macedonia).

The project aims to strengthen the role of citizens in the next wave of EU enlargement, transforming them from passive observers into active participants in the decision-making process. By applying an innovative and citizen-centered approach, the project will help European citizens better understand the security, economic, and societal impacts of enlargement. CitiSense is based on the premise that any policy should work for citizens, developed with their direct involvement.

Professors from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences: David Aprasidze and Giorgi Gvalia will represent Ilia State University in the project.

2026