GTU Responds to Businessman Temur Chkonia’s Statement
03-11-2025
The Georgian Technical University responds to the statement made by businessman Temur Chkonia after the meeting of business representatives with the Prime Minister of Georgia regarding the education reform, as if “training of engineering and technical personnel does not exist in Georgia”.
As said in the statement released by the Georgian Technical University, businessman Temur Chkonia’s opinion does not correspond to reality. In Georgia, technical education that meets modern world standards is available and continually evolving.
“The Georgian Technical University - as the country’s leading engineering and scientific center - whose history dates back more than a century- considers it necessary to clarify that the assessment of businessman Temur Chkonia, as if “training of engineering and technical personnel does not exist in Georgia”, does not reflect the real picture and serves to mislead the public.
Despite the difficulties that the university space has experienced over the past three decades - including economic and political crises, resource scarcity, and numerous challenges in the education system - the graduates, professors, and students of the Georgian Technical University are still the people on whom the country’s economic development and technological progress depend. The Georgian Technical University remains a renowned institution for engineering and technology, where knowledge is transformed into practical power.
GTU graduates create, build, and strengthen Georgia - with their knowledge, work, professional ethics, and devotion to their homeland, they do not spare their strength, knowledge, and experience. It is precisely through their work, professionalism, and creative energy that the country maintains the momentum and strength of development.
Therefore, any opinion that belittles or denies the fact that the process of educating highly qualified engineers and professionals in the field is still underway in Georgia is completely unfair, undeserved, and incorrect.
The reality is that in the development of modern Georgia, there is practically no significant engineering or infrastructure project, be it energy, transport, urban, spatial, ecological, or other, where graduates, professors, or students of the Georgian Technical University did not actively participate and did not occupy key, decision-making, or project development-defining positions. Their involvement is not accidental - it is a natural continuation of the historical mission of the Georgian Technical University.
We are far from the opinion that it is necessary to prove in any way our undisputed leading position in the field of engineering and technology. This is confirmed by the work of our graduates, professors, and students, and their contribution to the development of the country. However, we will cite several ongoing projects that are being implemented with the direct involvement of the academic community of the Georgian Technical University. These are projects on which the country’s economy stands today, and the successful implementation of which is associated with the name of our university.
Among other achievements, graduates of the Georgian Technical University are the main driving force of the country’s strategic energy system. They manage the Enguri HPP, which generates more than a third of the country’s electricity and is among the highest arch dams in the world; they coordinate international projects such as the Black Sea submarine cable and the Green Energy Corridor; They manage the transmission network of the State Electrosystem with 4438 km of lines and 93 substations, as well as the “Telasi” Tbilisi distribution network with an annual consumption of 3 billion kWh and more than 1.2 million subscribers of ENERGO-PRO Georgia. They create the national policy on energy efficiency and renewable energies, manage the market operator ESCO, research artificial intelligence in energy, and develop training programs for HVDC technologies. We can rightly conclude that GTU graduates fully control Georgia’s energy independence and sustainable development.
At the same time, graduates of the Georgian Technical University are the main pillar of the country’s industrial and technological transformation. Our graduates lead the full automation of the Madneuli enrichment plant at “RMG”, manage the production of “Boeing aircraft” parts at ATC, carry out digital control of production lines, emergency diagnostics, and synchronization with sensors, actuators, and SCADA systems. They create embedded systems, electronic modules, smart home designs, and systems, and carry out instrumental testing and certification in international laboratories. They work on the full engineering automation of the Shakshaketi, Paravni, Nabeghlavi, Okami, Lopota, Kazreti, and Nenskra hydroelectric power plants, as well as on the digital level management of the Tbilisi, Natakhtari, Rustavi, and Bodorna reservoirs of the company “GWP”. Here, too, we can say with full responsibility that GTU graduates fully control Georgia’s industrial automation and smart infrastructure.
The professors, students, and graduates of the Faculty of Construction and Architecture of the Georgian Technical University make a significant contribution to the country’s infrastructural development. It is with their participation and, in several cases, under their leadership that a large part of the largest engineering and construction projects in Georgia are being implemented.
These are projects for the planning and implementation of transport and infrastructure facilities of both international and local importance, including: the Kobuleti four-lane bypass highway, the Tbilisi-Rustavi highway, the Akhaltsikhe-Ninotsminda road, the reconstruction of the Zestaponi-Kharagauli section, and the design of a new 40.2 km Moliti-Khashuri line (with a 14.5 km tunnel).
Graduates and professors of the faculty actively participate in the rehabilitation of 384 artificial structures on the Marabda-Kartsakhi and Marabda-Akhalkalaki railway sections, in the construction of eight bridges of the Tbilisi bypass railway and the Tsipe Pass tunnel, in the rehabilitation and design works of more than 350 bridges, including the 1425-meter Chorokhi bridge of the E70 highway and the design of 13 tunnels of the E60 highway.
In addition, bridge rehabilitation projects, structural assessment of Tbilisi metro stations and funicular, as well as engineering and construction analysis and structural design of outstanding buildings of Georgian cultural heritage: Holy Trinity Cathedral, Bagrati Cathedral, Iveria Virgin Mary, and Oladauri churches have been completed.
The professionalism, innovative approaches, and high sense of responsibility of the representatives of the Faculties of Construction, Architecture, Urban Planning, and Design of the Georgian Technical University determine that today the majority of Georgia’s most important infrastructure projects are implemented with the participation of GTU’s academic and qualified resources.
The academic community of the Georgian Technical University - professors and students - actively participates in the world’s leading fundamental scientific experiments, including CERN’s Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), J-PARC’s COherent Muon to Electron Transition (COMET), Fermilab’s Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), and collaborations with Japan’s KEK. GTU scientists and students carry out high-precision research and technical tasks in the field of particle physics, which ensures the full integration of Georgian engineering science into the global scientific network.
A special achievement is the innovative engineering solution created at GTU - the world’s first machine that produces 5-micron-thick, 5-mm-diameter Straw Tube Trackers (STT) for the tracked detectors of the COMET and DUNE experiments. The creation of this unique technology, which has no analogues in the world, is the result of the efforts of GTU professors and students. STT will be used in leading experiments in the world on different continents, not only in fundamental but also in applied physics, and in each of these projects, the contribution of Georgia’s intellectual potential will be particularly demonstrated.
Currently, the Georgian Technical University is actively implementing a project to upgrade and modernize the Georgian space object - the Expandable Reflector, which is being implemented in cooperation with the American company EOS DATA ANALYTIC. Both university professors and students are actively involved in this project, which emphasizes the role of GTU in the field of modern space technologies and engineering.
The Georgian Technical University’s main mission is to educate the future generation, which will be ready to respond to modern engineering and technological challenges and be competitive in the labor market upon completion of their studies.
One of the key foundations for achieving this goal is the development of unique and innovative university laboratory facilities. Over the past two years, for the first time in Georgia, an electric vehicle training and research laboratory has been established and is now successfully operating at the GTU. This laboratory is fully equipped with advanced units and provides an unparalleled environment for practical learning and research. Additionally, a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence laboratory has been created at GTU, where students not only use existing AI models but also learn to design new algorithms and models to address specific challenges. The university has also fully equipped modern materials science and mechatronics laboratories, established a renewable energy laboratory, and created many other educational and research spaces. All of these initiatives are aimed at preparing students to tackle real-world industrial and scientific problems.
We can boldly say that the academic and scientific community of the Georgian Technical University not only participates, but also actively shapes the future of global science through the innovations and knowledge developed in Georgia.
Georgian Technical University collaborates with leading industrial companies such as “RMG”, “Saknakhshiri”, “Georgian Manganese”, “Georgian Railways”, “Energo-Pro Georgia”, “Huawei”, “Aptos”, “Honeywell Cement”, “Lion Trans”, “Autotechno”, “Ivermed”, and many others. Unfortunately, currently the company “Coca-Cola Bottlers Georgia” and its head, Mr. Temur Chkonia, are not included in the list of supporters of the training of engineering and technological personnel and the development of research infrastructure. This circumstance reflects the dissonance between public statements and real involvement: despite repeated emphasized statements about the country’s economic development and the importance of engineering and technological education, the company is not actively involved in areas that form the basis for technological progress and modernization of the education system.
The Georgian Technical University believes that closer engagement of the private sector with universities, research centers, and vocational schools is necessary to train highly qualified engineering and technological personnel and strengthen the national innovation ecosystem. Such cooperation not only ensures the improvement of the quality of education but also contributes to the growth of the country’s industrial potential and strengthens the competitiveness of the economy.
The Georgian Technical University once again expresses its readiness for open dialogue and cooperation with the private sector and respectfully invites Mr. Temur Chkonia to the University to personally familiarize himself with the modern educational, research, and innovative infrastructure at GTU, where university graduates and students implement innovative projects. This will be another important step towards the start of mutually beneficial cooperation between business and the university, especially since the buildings of the company “Coca-Cola Bottlers Georgia” were built by graduates of the Georgian Technical University,” is said in the GTU’s statement.
As said in the statement released by the Georgian Technical University, businessman Temur Chkonia’s opinion does not correspond to reality. In Georgia, technical education that meets modern world standards is available and continually evolving.
“The Georgian Technical University - as the country’s leading engineering and scientific center - whose history dates back more than a century- considers it necessary to clarify that the assessment of businessman Temur Chkonia, as if “training of engineering and technical personnel does not exist in Georgia”, does not reflect the real picture and serves to mislead the public.
Despite the difficulties that the university space has experienced over the past three decades - including economic and political crises, resource scarcity, and numerous challenges in the education system - the graduates, professors, and students of the Georgian Technical University are still the people on whom the country’s economic development and technological progress depend. The Georgian Technical University remains a renowned institution for engineering and technology, where knowledge is transformed into practical power.
GTU graduates create, build, and strengthen Georgia - with their knowledge, work, professional ethics, and devotion to their homeland, they do not spare their strength, knowledge, and experience. It is precisely through their work, professionalism, and creative energy that the country maintains the momentum and strength of development.
Therefore, any opinion that belittles or denies the fact that the process of educating highly qualified engineers and professionals in the field is still underway in Georgia is completely unfair, undeserved, and incorrect.
The reality is that in the development of modern Georgia, there is practically no significant engineering or infrastructure project, be it energy, transport, urban, spatial, ecological, or other, where graduates, professors, or students of the Georgian Technical University did not actively participate and did not occupy key, decision-making, or project development-defining positions. Their involvement is not accidental - it is a natural continuation of the historical mission of the Georgian Technical University.
We are far from the opinion that it is necessary to prove in any way our undisputed leading position in the field of engineering and technology. This is confirmed by the work of our graduates, professors, and students, and their contribution to the development of the country. However, we will cite several ongoing projects that are being implemented with the direct involvement of the academic community of the Georgian Technical University. These are projects on which the country’s economy stands today, and the successful implementation of which is associated with the name of our university.
Among other achievements, graduates of the Georgian Technical University are the main driving force of the country’s strategic energy system. They manage the Enguri HPP, which generates more than a third of the country’s electricity and is among the highest arch dams in the world; they coordinate international projects such as the Black Sea submarine cable and the Green Energy Corridor; They manage the transmission network of the State Electrosystem with 4438 km of lines and 93 substations, as well as the “Telasi” Tbilisi distribution network with an annual consumption of 3 billion kWh and more than 1.2 million subscribers of ENERGO-PRO Georgia. They create the national policy on energy efficiency and renewable energies, manage the market operator ESCO, research artificial intelligence in energy, and develop training programs for HVDC technologies. We can rightly conclude that GTU graduates fully control Georgia’s energy independence and sustainable development.
At the same time, graduates of the Georgian Technical University are the main pillar of the country’s industrial and technological transformation. Our graduates lead the full automation of the Madneuli enrichment plant at “RMG”, manage the production of “Boeing aircraft” parts at ATC, carry out digital control of production lines, emergency diagnostics, and synchronization with sensors, actuators, and SCADA systems. They create embedded systems, electronic modules, smart home designs, and systems, and carry out instrumental testing and certification in international laboratories. They work on the full engineering automation of the Shakshaketi, Paravni, Nabeghlavi, Okami, Lopota, Kazreti, and Nenskra hydroelectric power plants, as well as on the digital level management of the Tbilisi, Natakhtari, Rustavi, and Bodorna reservoirs of the company “GWP”. Here, too, we can say with full responsibility that GTU graduates fully control Georgia’s industrial automation and smart infrastructure.
The professors, students, and graduates of the Faculty of Construction and Architecture of the Georgian Technical University make a significant contribution to the country’s infrastructural development. It is with their participation and, in several cases, under their leadership that a large part of the largest engineering and construction projects in Georgia are being implemented.
These are projects for the planning and implementation of transport and infrastructure facilities of both international and local importance, including: the Kobuleti four-lane bypass highway, the Tbilisi-Rustavi highway, the Akhaltsikhe-Ninotsminda road, the reconstruction of the Zestaponi-Kharagauli section, and the design of a new 40.2 km Moliti-Khashuri line (with a 14.5 km tunnel).
Graduates and professors of the faculty actively participate in the rehabilitation of 384 artificial structures on the Marabda-Kartsakhi and Marabda-Akhalkalaki railway sections, in the construction of eight bridges of the Tbilisi bypass railway and the Tsipe Pass tunnel, in the rehabilitation and design works of more than 350 bridges, including the 1425-meter Chorokhi bridge of the E70 highway and the design of 13 tunnels of the E60 highway.
In addition, bridge rehabilitation projects, structural assessment of Tbilisi metro stations and funicular, as well as engineering and construction analysis and structural design of outstanding buildings of Georgian cultural heritage: Holy Trinity Cathedral, Bagrati Cathedral, Iveria Virgin Mary, and Oladauri churches have been completed.
The professionalism, innovative approaches, and high sense of responsibility of the representatives of the Faculties of Construction, Architecture, Urban Planning, and Design of the Georgian Technical University determine that today the majority of Georgia’s most important infrastructure projects are implemented with the participation of GTU’s academic and qualified resources.
The academic community of the Georgian Technical University - professors and students - actively participates in the world’s leading fundamental scientific experiments, including CERN’s Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS), J-PARC’s COherent Muon to Electron Transition (COMET), Fermilab’s Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), and collaborations with Japan’s KEK. GTU scientists and students carry out high-precision research and technical tasks in the field of particle physics, which ensures the full integration of Georgian engineering science into the global scientific network.
A special achievement is the innovative engineering solution created at GTU - the world’s first machine that produces 5-micron-thick, 5-mm-diameter Straw Tube Trackers (STT) for the tracked detectors of the COMET and DUNE experiments. The creation of this unique technology, which has no analogues in the world, is the result of the efforts of GTU professors and students. STT will be used in leading experiments in the world on different continents, not only in fundamental but also in applied physics, and in each of these projects, the contribution of Georgia’s intellectual potential will be particularly demonstrated.
Currently, the Georgian Technical University is actively implementing a project to upgrade and modernize the Georgian space object - the Expandable Reflector, which is being implemented in cooperation with the American company EOS DATA ANALYTIC. Both university professors and students are actively involved in this project, which emphasizes the role of GTU in the field of modern space technologies and engineering.
The Georgian Technical University’s main mission is to educate the future generation, which will be ready to respond to modern engineering and technological challenges and be competitive in the labor market upon completion of their studies.
One of the key foundations for achieving this goal is the development of unique and innovative university laboratory facilities. Over the past two years, for the first time in Georgia, an electric vehicle training and research laboratory has been established and is now successfully operating at the GTU. This laboratory is fully equipped with advanced units and provides an unparalleled environment for practical learning and research. Additionally, a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence laboratory has been created at GTU, where students not only use existing AI models but also learn to design new algorithms and models to address specific challenges. The university has also fully equipped modern materials science and mechatronics laboratories, established a renewable energy laboratory, and created many other educational and research spaces. All of these initiatives are aimed at preparing students to tackle real-world industrial and scientific problems.
We can boldly say that the academic and scientific community of the Georgian Technical University not only participates, but also actively shapes the future of global science through the innovations and knowledge developed in Georgia.
Georgian Technical University collaborates with leading industrial companies such as “RMG”, “Saknakhshiri”, “Georgian Manganese”, “Georgian Railways”, “Energo-Pro Georgia”, “Huawei”, “Aptos”, “Honeywell Cement”, “Lion Trans”, “Autotechno”, “Ivermed”, and many others. Unfortunately, currently the company “Coca-Cola Bottlers Georgia” and its head, Mr. Temur Chkonia, are not included in the list of supporters of the training of engineering and technological personnel and the development of research infrastructure. This circumstance reflects the dissonance between public statements and real involvement: despite repeated emphasized statements about the country’s economic development and the importance of engineering and technological education, the company is not actively involved in areas that form the basis for technological progress and modernization of the education system.
The Georgian Technical University believes that closer engagement of the private sector with universities, research centers, and vocational schools is necessary to train highly qualified engineering and technological personnel and strengthen the national innovation ecosystem. Such cooperation not only ensures the improvement of the quality of education but also contributes to the growth of the country’s industrial potential and strengthens the competitiveness of the economy.
The Georgian Technical University once again expresses its readiness for open dialogue and cooperation with the private sector and respectfully invites Mr. Temur Chkonia to the University to personally familiarize himself with the modern educational, research, and innovative infrastructure at GTU, where university graduates and students implement innovative projects. This will be another important step towards the start of mutually beneficial cooperation between business and the university, especially since the buildings of the company “Coca-Cola Bottlers Georgia” were built by graduates of the Georgian Technical University,” is said in the GTU’s statement.
