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On 20 May, a book presentation, panel discussion and student scientific conference were held in room G106 at Ilia State University within the framework of the EU-funded project “Jean Monnet Chair at Iliauni”. The event was dedicated to the topic “The European Union and the South Caucasus: Integration, Security and Regional Transformations”.

The event aimed to promote academic discussion on the European Union, the South Caucasus, regional security, European integration and contemporary geopolitical changes, while also strengthening students’ research skills, critical thinking and academic engagement.

The first part of the event was dedicated to the presentation of Professor Giorgi Gvalia’s book, “The European Union as a Global Actor: Institutions, Values and Interests”. The book was prepared and published within the framework of the Jean Monnet Chair and examines the institutional, value-based and interest-driven dimensions of the European Union as an international actor.

Following the book presentation, a panel discussion was held on the topic “The European Union and the South Caucasus: Integration, Security and Regional Transformations”. The discussion featured members of the academic staff in social and political sciences at Ilia State University: Ivane Lomidze, Zarina Burkadze, Nino Pavlenishvili and Giorgi Gvalia. The panel was moderated by Giorgi Odoshashvili.

During the panel discussion, participants discussed the role of the European Union in the South Caucasus, the challenges of Georgia’s European integration, the dynamics of regional security, democratisation processes, hybrid threats, disinformation, and the influence of external actors on the political and security environment of the South Caucasus.

The second part of the event was dedicated to the student scientific conference. The conference was opened by TSU Professor Kornely Kakachia with a presentation titled “Limits of EU Protean Power: Why New Strategies Fall Short in the South Caucasus”. Professor Kornely Kakachia, who is a visiting professor at Hokkaido University, joined the event remotely via Zoom.

Within the framework of the student conference, presentations were delivered by undergraduate and graduate students from Ilia State University and Tbilisi State University. The presentations addressed Georgia’s European integration, EU enlargement policy, geopolitical changes in the South Caucasus, regional security, energy security, hybrid threats, disinformation, opportunities for youth and education, as well as prospects for conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

The topics presented at the conference once again highlighted the importance of the South Caucasus for the European Union’s foreign and security policy, as well as the political, institutional and security challenges related to Georgia’s European integration process.

The event concluded with a discussion and summary session. Participants received certificates, while gift vouchers from the Ligamus bookstore were allocated for the authors of the best student presentations.

The event was held within the framework of the EU-funded project “Jean Monnet Chair at Iliauni”, in cooperation with the Faculty of Arts and Sciences of Ilia State University.

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