Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze met with Luis Benveniste, the World Bank’s Global Director for Education, and Rolande Pryce, the Regional Director for the South Caucasus.

According to the Georgian government, the Prime Minister presented the concept of Georgia’s new higher education reform to the World Bank representatives. Kobakhidze outlined the main challenges in the education system that shaped the reform’s goals, including decentralizing the system geographically, optimizing resources, and improving both university infrastructure and the overall quality of education.

The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the World Bank’s support in ensuring the successful implementation of the reform.

The meeting also covered broader cooperation between Georgia and the World Bank in the economic sector. The government noted that the World Bank currently manages eight active investment projects in Georgia, with a combined value of over USD 975 million.

The meeting was attended by Rita Almeida, the World Bank’s Education Global Practice Manager for Europe and Central Asia; Ana Berdzenadze, Education Specialist at the World Bank; and from the Georgian side, Givi Mikanadze, Minister of Education, Science and Youth; Lasha Khutsishvili, Minister of Finance; and Levan Zhorzholiani, Head of the Government Administration.