DUGEOR Final International Conference

From September 1–3, 2026, the Head of the International Relations Service of Batumi Navigation University, Professor George Gabedava, participated in the final events of the Erasmus+ CBHE project DUGEOR - Enhancing Opportunities for Implementing Dual Education in the Georgian Higher Education System.

On September 2, the final international conference of the project was held at Georgian Technical University. The event summarized the work carried out within the project to promote the development of dual higher education in Georgia — from studying European experience and developing a general model for dual higher education to developing relevant legal and quality assurance frameworks and testing the model in real university and workplace environments.

The main principle of the DUGEOR approach is to establish two interconnected learning environments for students — the university and the company. According to this model, workplace learning is not merely additional practical training; rather, it is a fully integrated and integral part of the educational programme.

Within the framework of the conference, Professor George Gabedava presented the pilot model of dual higher education implemented at Batumi Navigation University in cooperation with its partner company, Interlog Georgia. He spoke about the piloting process, the experience gained, the opportunities created for the participating stakeholders, the strengths of the model and directions for its further development.

The consortium’s other member higher education institutions also presented their institutional models and pilot experiences, together with their partner companies and organizations.

Representatives of the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia, the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, partner universities, the private sector and international partner organizations participated in the event. Students involved in the DUGEOR pilot process also shared their experiences and perspectives.

In the final part of the conference, participants discussed how the pilot experience gained within the DUGEOR project could be transformed into a sustainable system of dual higher education in Georgia.

The completion of the DUGEOR project does not mark the end of this process. The next step will be to further develop and expand the experience gained within the project, the institutional models created, and the mechanisms of cooperation between universities and industry, while ensuring their long-term sustainability.