We, members of the international academic community, scholars, students, alumni, university staff, university leaders, researchers, research centers and institutes, and partners of higher education institutions across the world, stand in solidarity with Ilia State University and with all Georgian academics, students, and staff committed to the principles of academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and international engagement.
We issue this Declaration in response to the legislative measures enacted by the Parliament of Georgia in December 2025 and February 2026, and to the broader pattern of interference in the governance and academic independence of Georgian universities.
Ilia State University has for decades been a leading public university in Georgia, internationally engaged, quality-oriented, and deeply integrated into European and global academic networks. The recent legislative changes directly threaten the foundations upon which Ilia State University and other Georgian universities have built their academic missions.
I. THE MEASURES OF CONCERN
The December 2025 amendments to the Law on Higher Education, followed by additional acts adopted in February 2026, represent a fundamental restructuring of the Georgian higher education system that undermines institutional autonomy and academic self-governance.
Among the most alarming provisions are:
a) State Determination of Academic Programmes, Admission Quotas, and Research Areas
The amendments empower the executive authorities to determine annually not only the number of students state universities may admit, but also the list of academic programmes and curricula those universities are authorised to offer, including a cycle predetermined for each program and related research areas.
The state-imposed quota for Ilia State University reduced admissions to approximately 360 students - cut by 92% - and limited admissions primarily to selected pedagogical and STEM fields thereby effectively eliminating disciplinary diversity across institution.
This measure strikes at the core of university autonomy. The right to define what is taught, how it is taught, and whom to admit, and how long the study program shall be is a foundational expression of institutional self-governance. The transfer of this authority to the ministry and the Government of Georgia transforms autonomous universities into administrative extensions of the state.
For Ilia State University, whose academic identity has been built on innovation, interdisciplinary development, and responsiveness to societal needs, this measure directly threatens its intellectual independence.
b) Restructuring of Degree Programmes
The reform proposes shortening undergraduate study to three years and master’s programmes to one year, alongside a reduction of general school education from twelve to eleven grades.
These changes diverge from the framework of the European Higher Education Area and from the principles of the Bologna Process, to which Georgia is a committed signatory. Over two decades, Georgian universities, including Ilia State University, have invested substantial effort in aligning their academic structures with European standards.
The proposed restructuring represents not merely a technical modification but a departure from established European norms and from a vision of higher education grounded in academic depth, research integration, and intellectual development.
c) Exclusion of International Students
Beginning in 2026, Georgian state universities will no longer admit international students or admit in a predetermined limited capacity by the Government.
This measure undermines international academic cooperation and isolates Georgian higher education from global scholarly exchange. Ilia State University has been an active participant in international research projects, mobility programmes, and institutional partnerships. The exclusion of international students weakens academic quality, diminishes scientific collaboration, and erodes the cosmopolitan character essential to modern universities.
II. THE PRINCIPLES AT STAKE
The Magna Charta Universitatum (1988) affirms that the university is an autonomous institution at the heart of society and that freedom in research and teaching is the fundamental principle of university life. These principles are echoed in the standards of the European Higher Education Area and in widely accepted international norms of academic governance.
The measures enacted in Georgia subordinate universities to state control in their most essential functions: academic programming, admissions, institutional structure, and international engagement.
Academic freedom is not a privilege granted at discretion. It is constitutive of the university itself. Institutional autonomy is not symbolic. It is a structural condition necessary for the pursuit of knowledge, critical inquiry, and the protection of faculty, students, and staff.
Reforms imposed without genuine consultation with academic communities and without alignment with international commitments cannot be regarded as legitimate in a democratic society.
III. OUR POSITION OF SOLIDARITY
We affirm our full solidarity with Ilia State University.
We recognise its contribution to scholarship, to international cooperation, and to the democratic and intellectual development of Georgia.
We stand with its leadership, faculty, students, staff, and alumni in defending the principles of academic freedom, institutional autonomy, and openness to the world.
IV. OUR CALLS
We call upon the Government and Parliament of Georgia to:
· Immediately suspend the implementation of the December 2025 and February 2026 amendments to the laws on Higher Education and General Education.
· Engage in genuine, transparent, and inclusive consultation with university senates, faculty councils, student representatives, and international educational bodies.
· Reaffirm Georgia’s commitment to the Bologna Process, the European Higher Education Area, and the principles of academic freedom enshrined in international agreements.
We call upon the global academic community to:
· Issue clear and principled statements in defense of academic freedom and institutional autonomy in Georgia.
· Monitor developments in Georgian higher education through appropriate international mechanisms.
· Offer concrete forms of academic solidarity, including continued partnerships, research collaboration, mobility opportunities, and public support for Georgian scholars and students.
