The FINANCIAL — “Caucasus University will lower its tuition fees for 2010. However we have not yet decided by how much exactly,” says Kakha Shengelia, Director of Caucasus University. At present tuition for one course costs 9,900 GEL.
In interview with The FINANCIAL in October, private universities in the country revealed that they had accepted a lower number of students this year due to the economical crisis and the Government’s decision to increase the number of students.
In October Shengelia denied the possibility of a price reduction and spoke of maintaining the same prices for the next year.
Giuli Alasania, Vice-Rector of the International Black Sea University in Tbilisi and Head of the Stewardship Council and Professor of the University of Georgia, does not expect an increase in tuition fees. She even thinks that there is a possibility of them being reduced.
Khakha Bendukidze, owner of Tbilisi Free University, said that they did not increase prices for 2009-2010 due to the global recession. They usually reveal their tuition fees in the spring.
In 2010 CU is expecting to accept 800 students in to its six schools.
Moreover, the university is creating a branch in Batumi – Caucasus School of Tourism. That college is expecting to accept its first 200 students from September 2010.
At present there is contracting of the new CU building. Shengelia says that the building will be finished after the country’s economy starts recovering from the crisis. Consequently, the exact date of its completion is not yet known.
Traditionally on 25 December CU hands out presents to its first year students. This tradition was started last year.
“By providing net-books to our students, we help them with their studies and motivate them as well. We chose net-books as they are quite compact and only weighs 0.5 kg,” says Shengelia.
“Despite the economic crisis we still provided New Year gifts for all our first year students,” says Tinatin Gugberidze, Head of the Marketing and Public Relations Department at CU.
“The net-book will help me in doing my homework and work assignments and I will carry it with me every day,” says Vakhtang Mchedlidze, student at Caucasus School of Law.
200 Acer Aspire One model net-books were given individually to students this year.
“Last year we held a lavish ceremony at Sheraton Metekhi Palace where we awarded Hp 550 laptops to 250 of our students. This year due to the economic crisis we could not arrange a ceremony of the same scale,” says Gugberidze.
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