Swiss agricultural vocational school to open in Dmanisi municipality
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A Swiss agricultural school will open in the village of Sarkineti, Dmanisi municipality in 2020.
Swiss Agricultural School Caucasus (SASC) is set up according to Swiss standards, and specialises in cattle breeding, dairy and cheese processing.
SASC’s main activity is a three-year vocational programme in cattle breeding and milk processing. In addition, farmers and amateurs will have the opportunity to take short-term professional courses. Along with theoretical courses, the school will offer practical trainings for students as well.
For this purpose, a dairy farm and modern cheese factory will be built on the college premises: feeding for the farm, work in the laboratory, process milk, produce and sell dairy products in the school-owned store,” reads the official Facebook page of SASC.
This is a historical day for me and my country. For a long time I have had a wish my country to have a high standard vocational school and it happened with my partners. I’m happy that the most famous Swiss vocational school with 200-year experience, Plantahof is our partner,” said Mikheil Svimonishvili at the presentation ceremony of the school.
Along with theoretical courses, the school will offer practical trainings for students as well. Photo: The Ministry of Acriculture
The school infrastructure also includes a campus for 30 students and a small hotel for invited foreign teachers.
The project was implemented by private financial initiative; “Swiss South Caucasus Foundation” (SSFC), a private Swiss fund which has been active in science and education for over 20 years, is also an important financial partner. The project is carried out with the support of the Embassy of Switzerland in Georgia.
SASC also actively collaborates with the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport of Georgia and Georgian Farmers’ Association.
The Swiss Agricultural School Caucasus will start the education programme in the fall semester of 2020.
The long-term goal of the college is to educate 100 strong, professional farmers in Georgia in a 10-year period.
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