International Black Sea University forbidden from matriculating new students for one-year period

The International Black Sea University has been restricted from receiving new students for a one-year period by the Authorisation Council today.

The authorisation body claims that the restriction is legal since the university owes money to the government while the management of the IBSU calls the council’s decision unfair.

“I think the council has done its utmost come up with a legal decision. The university was given authorisation despite the difficult situation it is currently in. IBSU has an ongoing dispute with the government in regard to an amount exceeding 700,000 GEL that they had to pay to the state budget but avoided taxes. This is why their actives, as well as that of their shareholders’ are under seizure now”, Head of the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement Tamar Sanikidze said today.

She noted that the students currently studying at IBSU will not have any problems despite the fact that the university was deprived its authorisation for one year.

As for those who have been preparing to start studying at IBSU this year as a result of national exams, they are going to be distributed to other universities according to a mobility principle.

The management of the IBSU claims that the Authorisation Center’s decision is not fair and the university meets all criteria to keep its authorisation. Moreover the Head of the Quality Enhancement Department at IBSU, Diana Mchedlishvili, notes that the contested amount which has been disputed since 2013 is not related to the teaching process at the university.

The university initiated by Georgia’s former President Eduard Shevardnadze and former PM of Turkey Tansu Chiller was established in 1995.