Socio-Political Influence of the Bologna Process on the Georgian Higher Education and Modern Society

Education, in particular tertiary education, as the main “tool” in forming a person intellectually, has always been among the scope of interest of the country’s politics. In the old days, universities were considered as the place where one could get accumulated knowledge and graduates were simply “carriers” of that knowledge. In the modern society, universities are seen as having power to influence the socio-political development of a country. A modern educated person is intelligent enough to have an individual outlook on things or events. It is very hard to change an intellectual’s mind about something he/she does not believe. If a person is educated, he/ she can and will be engaged in political matters, social life or contribute greatly to the development of the country’s better future. Enquiries proved that a person’s level of intelligence is directly connected with his/her political participation and voting behavior, as well as social interaction. The Bologna Process has helped the Georgian higher education system in its transitional period. Owing to this process, Georgia managed to effectively change the education system from a centralized Soviet system to a modern, democratic system. Launching mobility projects, diploma recognition, and quality enhancement projects played a great role in the development of the Georgian modern society and in forming their national as well as pro-European attitude.

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