ANNOUNCEMENTS

We are happy to announce the Summer School in Kartvelian Studies for non-Georgians to be held from 10 July to 15 August 2010.

In a broad sense Kartvelian (Georgian) Studies (Kartvelology) embraces Georgian culture, history and all fields of the humanities: linguistics, literary criticism, art, archaeology, folklore, ethnography, source study. Georgia, Sakartvelo, successor to ancient Colchis and Iberia, lies at the boundary of Europe and Asia, east of the Black Sea, in the southwestern part of the Caucasus. Today in addition, it continues to serve as a geographical, economic and cultural bridge between East and West.

The Summer School in Kartvelian Studies - the only one of its kind in the world, with a fifteen-year experience of continuous work - is organized by the Centre for Kartvelian Studies and sponsored by the Government of Georgia, Tbilisi State University and by the Fund for Kartvelian Studies.

The School will offer intensive instruction in Modern Georgian - both along the line of spoken as well as grammatical norms of the language - with account of the level of the mastery of the language by the participants. They can also attend lectures on Georgian history, literature, language and art and become acquainted with Georgia’s cultural and historical past and her present achievements. Excursions out of town - to various regions of Georgia - are organized at weekends.

The five-week course at the Summer School costs 1500 Euros per student. This includes accommodation (in a student’s dormitory or at a private apartment), board, lectures and seminars, and cultural program (excursions to the countryside, visiting museums, seeing Georgian films, etc.). The Centre ensures meeting the attendants of the Summer School at the airport and seeing them to their destination during the Summer School period, i.e. three days prior to the announced opening of studies and three days following completion of the school. The attendants should arrange their visa and travel problems and pay the travel cost, and medical aid, if needed.

This year the cost of instruction and board of only some foreign young students who intend to specialize in Kartvelological disciplines, have a relevant recommendation from their professor college and will attend the full course of the Kartvelological curriculum but are unable to pay the whole cost, will be partially refunded by the Fund for Kartvelian Studies. However, in all cases the attendants of the Summer School, including those planning to specialize in Kartvelology, are expected to contribute about one third of the above-mentioned course cost as a charity to the Fund of Kartvelian Studies, for the Summer School in Kartvelian Studies in the main is financed by this Charity Fund. The Number of participants is limited (not more than 10 persons). Applicants will be accepted on their application basis. Please let us know about your wishes at your earliest convinience, and wait for the Application Form we shall send you. And a decision will be taken on the basis of the Application Form data of the applicant.

Address:   Tbilisi State University (TSU), Centre for Kartvelian Studies. 1, Chavchavadze Ave., 0128 Tbilisi, Georgia
Tel.: +995(32) 29 08 33          
Fax: +995(32) 25 25 01
E-mail: khintibidze@yahoo.com    
kartvcentre@hotmail.com    

P.S. In the assessment of a participant of the Kartvelological Summer School: “I would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending the Summer School experience to anyone.  It is a tough, rigorous, yet fun and enjoyable course – very well designed and structured for maximum effectiveness, and is suitable for both beginners and more advanced students.  As well as the wonderful teaching staff at the Centre for Kartvelian Studies, with whom you come into contact on a daily basis, the Summer School allows you to meet very interesting, friendly people, all with their own reasons for learning Georgian and for coming to Georgia; I very much hope that we shall remain in contact for years to come.”(Russell Travenen Johnes, Great Britain, 2009)

’’For me the Summer School is a great possibility to get to know Georgia and its crazy language. After five weeks you have some basic knowledge of  Georgian, you have seen some fascinating sites in  Georgia on the excursions which are included in the program, you have participated in some inspiring lectures from local scholars, and – last but not least you have had a lot of fun. Highly recommended!’’ (Florian Mühlfried, Hamburg, Germany, December 2002)