EU funds training for new generation of Georgian migration specialists

European Union (EU) funds are helping Georgia develop a new generation of migration specialists who will better manage immigration and emigration issues.

Leading academics from around the globe have come to Georgia as part of the EU-funded ‘Enhancing Georgia’s Migration Management (ENIGMMA)’ project, to train locals and support the country’s development efforts, with specific emphasis on migration management and research.

Experts from Oxford University in the United Kingdom, the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance in the Netherlands, the Vienna University and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights in Austria, the Sorbonne University in France and Tbilisi State University, as well as representatives of the international and national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and Georgian Government agencies gathered in Georgia’s Kakheti region to conduct theoretical and practical workshops for 30 Georgian students in areas related to international migration.

The summer school included youth from Georgian universities, Georgian students from Austria, Greece, Finland, Norway, and the United States as well as young professionals pursuing careers with state institutions, NGOs and civil society groups.

The course was designed and implemented by the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), an international organisation based in Vienna, Austria, which also has a field office in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The better Georgia is able to manage both immigration and emigration, the better it will be able to cooperate with other countries both within and outside the EU, which will be beneficial for all Georgians,” said Violeta Wagner, head of the summer school and ICMPD Project Manager.

A second ENIGMMA summer school will take place in the summer of 2016.