History of the Faculty of Energy 

Energy is the driving force of the country’s economic development and the basis for ensuring national security. It is the level of energy development that determines the social and economic situation of the local population, the competitiveness of products manufactured in the country (both in the domestic and foreign markets), and in general, the country’s place and role in the global community.

The foundation for training national engineering personnel in the field of energy was laid in 1922 at the Polytechnic Faculty of Tbilisi State University, the first dean of which was the founder of electrical engineering science and education in Georgia, Professor Aleksandre Didebulidze. At that time, the Polytechnic Faculty consisted of three departments - construction, mechanical and mining. In turn, the mechanical department was represented by electromechanical, hydromechanical, and thermomechanical specialties.
On January 16, 1922, the first lecture in mathematics was given to the students of the Polytechnic Faculty by Andria Razmadze. From September of the same year, the number of applicants for admission to the Polytechnic Faculty was so large that it became necessary to introduce entrance exams, (there were no entrance exams for other faculties of the university). The competitive subjects at the Polytechnic Faculty were algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. So began the educational process for the preparation of Georgian engineering personnel. Among the first ten Georgian engineers who graduated from the Polytechnic Faculty of Tbilisi State University in 1928, five were awarded the qualification of an electrical engineer.

The Faculty of Energy continued to exist independently at the Georgian Polytechnic Institute from 1928. Prominent scientists and educated engineers stood at the origins of its establishment, including Professors: Aleksandre Didebulidze, Besarion Chichinadze, Aleksandre Muskhelishvili, Stepane Kirkesali, Artemi Ter-Khachaturian, Levan Khizanishvili, Evgeni Petkevich, and others.
During its existence, the faculty has trained more than 30,000 specialists for the energy sector. A significant contribution to the development and advancement of the Faculty of Energy was made by the following persons who served as Deans of the Faculty at different times: Prof. A. Ter-Khachaturov, Engineer V. Karakhanyan, Engineer V. Arshba, Prof. A. Didebulidze, Engineer P. Kiknadze, Engineer A. Metonidze, Assoc. Prof. M. Kasyan, Assoc. Prof. G. Makharadze, Assoc. Prof. G. Kupradze, Prof. A. Kotia, Assoc. Prof. O. Asatiani, Prof. N. Ninua. Prof. O. Kervalishvili, Assoc. Prof. N. Tsivtsivadze, Prof. D. Laoshvili and Prof. G. Arabidze, Professor Lena Shatakishvili. The Georgian energy system and the electrotechnical service of the most important industrial and household enterprises are completely staffed with specialists who have graduated from the faculty.

Currently, the faculty is headed by Professor Ketevan Kutateladze.

The Faculty of Energy successfully continues its historical mission to prepare engineering and scientific personnel relevant to the international educational standards, competitive in the free labor market, to establish a sustainable and efficient energy base in Georgia optimal management and development of energy systems and facilities, development of energy policy and its phased implementation, ongoing engineering-technical, economic, legal and environmental processes in the energy sector, large-scale use of local fuel and energy resources and renewable energy sources, introduction of energy-efficient technologies and practical implementation of energy-saving measures, development of electric, hydro and thermal power, energy system and fuel and energy complex in Georgia, operation of modern energy installations and pipeline systems, management of fuel and energy sectors, electrical engineering, electromechanics, energy installations in the fields of diagnostics, electronics, electrical technologies and power supply.

The Faculty of Energy offers education at three levels of higher academic education: bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees.

1. Power and Electrical Engineering
2. Electrical and Electronic Engineering
3. Engineering Management
Authorized mode Power and Electrical Engineering (Russian)

Master’s Degree
1. Power and Electrical Engineering
2. Technology Project Management and Industrial Policy

Doctoral Degree
1. Power and Electrical Engineering
2. Innovation and Operations Management
The bachelor’s degree program “Electrical and Electronic Engineering” at the faculty is being prepared for accreditation by the American Board of Engineering Technology (ABET).

The faculty also operates a professional training program for high-voltage electrical engineers. The training program for low-voltage electrical engineers is in the process of authorization.

By order of the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, four short-term professional training programs have been prepared and are operating at the faculty. These programs are:

1. Installation of renewable energy sources (installation of solar thermal systems);
2. Installation of renewable energy sources (installation of solar photovoltaic systems);
3. Installation of renewable energy sources (installation of surface geothermal and heat pump systems);
4. Installation of renewable energy sources (installation of small-scale biomass boilers and stoves).


The faculty is represented by six departments:

1. Department of Thermal Power, Energy Efficient Technologies and Energy Audit (Dept.№201).
2. Department of Industrial Innovations and Operations Management (Dept. №202).
3. Department of Electrical Power and Electromechanics (Dept. №203).
4. Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics (Dept. №204).
5. Department of Electrical Consumption Technologies (Dept. №205);
6. Department of Hydropower and Main Cable Systems (Dept. №208).

In recent years, the educational and scientific laboratory base of the faculty has significantly expanded, which has allowed the introduction of new laboratory disciplines into educational programs and supported scientific work.

JSC “Telasi” and the firm “Schneider Electric” have established the training center “Schneider Electric Telasi”, which aims to improve the theoretical and practical knowledge of bachelors and masters, to train, retrain and improve the qualifications of specialists. The training center is equipped with the latest electrical equipment and devices manufactured by a French company. It allows to investigate the problems existing in high and low voltage power supply networks and to identify ways to solve them, which is carried out on the basis of three training laboratories operating in the center: “Automatic control systems of electrotechnological equipment and automated electric drives”, “Low voltage power supply” and “Medium voltage power supply”, where more than 150 laboratory works can be carried out for any type of power system mode. The center is of regional importance, providing retraining and improving the qualifications of energy specialists from Georgia and neighboring countries of the Caucasus.
 
The Austrian company HERZ Armaturen, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Georgian International Energy Corporation have jointly established a training and research laboratory for energy-efficient heating systems with integrated hydropower plants and solar collectors as part of the unified faculty laboratory center. The laboratory was created to train specialists in energy and related fields at the level of international standards. It is actively used to train bachelor’s and master’s students. The quality of the laboratory equipment provides unique opportunities for doctoral students to conduct scientific research, as well as for retraining young specialists of various profiles and improving the qualifications of professional energy specialists.

As part of USAID’s Modern Energy-Efficient Technologies and Education Initiative (NATELI) project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an energy audit laboratory and training center was created. The laboratory is equipped with modern control and measuring devices. The center is intensively training highly qualified (professional) energy auditors with the broad involvement of students, professors and teachers in the energy, industrial, construction and housing and communal sectors and personnel employed in energy service companies (engineers, economists, managers, etc.) in the energy audit process. Within the framework of the same project, a renewable energy laboratory was launched, which promotes the popularization of the use of renewable energy sources in Georgia, increases interest in the development of highly efficient household appliances, raises the culture of energy saving, and establishes experience in the use of environmentally friendly energy technologies.
 Considering the ongoing processes in the Georgian energy system, simulation simulators for the management of hydro and thermal power plants have been created for the purpose of training students and improving the qualifications of personnel of hydropower plants and thermal power plants.
Since 2023, a solar power plant has been located on three levels on the roof of the educational building of the Faculty of Energy, which has generated 487 MWh of electricity since 2023 up to date. The mentioned solar power plant generates an average of 1000-1200 kwh of electricity daily, which mainly covers the faculty’s demand for electricity. It is especially important that the aforementioned solar power plant can be used as a research laboratory for academic staff and students interested in relevant issues.
An important step has been taken at the Faculty of Energy to create virtual laboratories with modern computer programs. Of particular note are the laboratories focused on the production, transmission and distribution of electrical energy. The faculty has introduced the program PSS/E (Power System Simulator), created in the USA, which enables calculations of electrical system modes and inrush currents, as well as static and dynamic stability analysis.
At the Faculty of Energy operates an “Electronic System for Monitoring Student Academic Performance”, the main purpose of which is to form a weekly assessment of the student and inform the student about it. As is known, it has the form of an “electronic bulletin board”, which is transparent to all parties involved in the educational process: student-university-teacher.

The Faculty of Energy has achieved significant success in the educational process as a result of the implementation of electronic monitoring and management systems. This process clearly demonstrated the active participation and support of students, as well as the efforts of professors, teachers and the Faculty Quality Assurance Service is establishing this innovation.

In addition, the faculty’s educational infrastructure reflects the trends that create a modern educational system, the consideration of which is mandatory to gain a place in the international university education market. Time poses new challenges. These are the integration of artificial intelligence in energy, cybersecurity, climate change, environmental issues, etc. In response to these challenges, the faculty administration, in cooperation with representatives of the energy industry, is trying to adequately respond to the challenges of the energy sector and continue to play an important role in the development of the country’s economy and national security issues by promoting the creation of joint educational and research centers: State Economic Interests - Energy Industry - University Energy Faculty.