News

On 20–21 April 2026, the first Regional Awareness Day of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) project DeSIRe — ‘Developing Social Skills in Armenian and Georgian Higher Education Institutions in Line with 21st-Century Labour Market Requirements’ — was held at Goris State University, Armenia. Ilia State University participated in the event as a partner institution.

The two-day event brought together representatives of partner universities from Georgia and Armenia, European partner institutions, quality assurance bodies, public-sector organisations, and civil society organisations, as well as academic staff and students.

The aim of the event was to present progress achieved within the project and to strengthen dialogue on the importance of developing soft skills — including communication, critical thinking, teamwork, leadership, and adaptability. Panel discussions highlighted the need for the systematic integration of these competences into university curricula.

On 21 April, a project management meeting was held at which partner universities jointly reviewed the learning modules and MOOCs developed to date and planned the first phase of piloting. The working sessions were followed by a student panel discussion.

Ilia State University is an active partner in the DeSIRe project and through this initiative, contributes to improving the quality of higher education and enhancing the employability of graduates in both Georgia and Armenia.

2026