The FINANCIAL — Grenoble Graduate School of Business has expanded abroad to spread its expertise in the management of technology and innovation. In Georgia Caucasus University offers an identical programme and the same level of education as in the French Grenoble Graduate School of Business which is training a new generation of managers in management in an international context, costing Euro 11,175, which is over 50 percent cheaper than stated.
Caucasus University of Georgia celebrated its ten year anniversary with the first graduates of the Dual MBA programme of Grenoble Graduate School of Business (GGSB), Caucasus School of Business (CSB) and Caucasus School of Law (CSL).
“Grenoble Graduate School of Business has developed programmes with the partnership of local institutions in China, Singapore, Moldova, Georgia, Russia, Malta and the UK. The goal of developing these programmes is to enter markets that have a large growth potential,” school representatives told The FINANCIAL.
With the local knowledge of a partner in each country, Grenoble Graduate School of Business develops its international programmes for each market individually. Teachers from Grenoble Ecole de Management deliver the courses on site to local students, often managers and professionals too.
“While entering in to new relations our interest is conditioned by both the countries and universities’ dossiers. What Georgia as a country offered to Grenoble, was the new value of a developing country which has reached great success in just a few years and attracted great interest from international organizations. As for the university in this specific case, we had contact with a representative from Caucasus University, Guram Tsanava, who was an excellent student and furthermore, on a personal level, the representative of CU played a big role, the additional chord being the politeness of our embassy in regards to Georgia,” Julie Martin, Associate Director of Grenoble Graduate School of Business, told The FINANCIAL.
In the first graduating year of the new Dual MBA program 17 applications were received, but only 6 of them passed.
“The first six students fulfilled all the requirements for a diploma. We gave two diplomas, the Grenoble Graduate School of Business MBA ( Master of Business Administration) and Caucasus School of Business Executive Master of business administration degrees. The structure of the program is such that by the end of it, after the students have covered the nine compulsory programs, all of them go to Grenoble for specialization models, except one – global management, which is done in Georgia,” David Iremadze, Director of the Graduate Studies Department of CSB, reported.
As Ms. Martin stated, “Six is not a big number, but the others who did not get here have the chance to try again. From our six graduates only three are present, the others are abroad. It’s difficult to study and work at the same time, but possible. Business education is the main demand of the modern market. That’s why business schools around the world compare themselves to each other. According to an enquiry of the Financial Times six schools out of the best ten are French ones. Grenoble University is continuing its struggle for leadership.”
“As for Caucasus University, at international level it is one of the top universities in the region,” Martin added.
During its ten years, CU has on numerous occasions increased the number of graduates which started at 130 and increased from there. Caucasus University has some of the most reputable and prestigious faculties. At present CU has international quality accreditation from Central And Eastern European Management Development Association. Its international partners are about 50 leading countries’ universities and all its students with the highest marks are sent on exchange programmes. Today CU has over 2,000 students.
Among the special guests at the event was one of the founders of CSB, Doctor Bijan Fazlollahi, who is usually present at the graduating party every year.
“I come to Georgia every year to congratulate students on this special day. All this wouldn’t be possible without the USA government’s support. When ten years ago we opened the first school, we doubted it would become the best in the Caucasus region, but we have been proved wrong. Caucasus University has done its share for the country. They have encouraged women’s rights to a good education and career. We trained a lot of females who have since made their own money and run their own businesses,” Bijan Fazlollahi, representative of Georgia State University (Atlanta, USA) said.
CU has a quality assurance department by which students’ and professors’ ratings are defined. The educational process is frequently monitored by foreign experts.
Next to the Dual MBA programmes’ students were Caucasus School of Law (CSL) graduates. Caucasus School of Law has been functioning since September 2005. Currently at CSL there are over 500 students.
“The main difference in our courses compared with other universities is the studying program, which is based on the European model. Among the specific courses offered at Caucasus School of Law are: research, petition, defence (LWAP), legal geography, world legislative traditions, legal English, psychology of law, legal ethics, and economics. All these subjects are very important for future lawyers but are not taught at other universities,” announced Zaza Maruashvili, Doctor, Professor, Dean of CSL.
As Maruashvili reported, “The labour market in Georgia is selective and highly competitive. Evidence of the quality of a CSL education is evident in the fact that the majority of our undergraduate and graduate students are currently employed in law firms and international organizations prior to graduation. But to tell the truth, there is more demand in the business law profile than in other directions.”
In 2008, Caucasus School of Law became a member of the European Law Faculties Association (ELFA) and International Association of Law Schools (IALS), which will meaningfully contribute to the school’s cooperation with leading European law schools and to CSL’s acquisition of European accreditation.
The celebratory event which took place at the K.Marjanishvili academic theatre, Tbilisi, was started with the national anthem, which was followed by the state hymn of Caucasus University and later, Doctor Zaza Maruashvili asked his colleagues to think over the issue of such a big university as CU, carrying the name of a specific man.
“Every University has its own symbol, like a flag, emblem or hymn. The author of our hymn is the famous Georgian composer Zaza Azarashvili. We were getting ready for this event long before now, but the temporary political destabilization in the country made us change our plans and be content with just a small celebration. All of us have a great mission for our country, we are to rebuild it. And I have given my graduates an ultimatum, I have told them to restore the Georgian economy in four years!” Kakha Shengelia, President of CU stated.
Written By Madona Gasanova
Discussion about this post