MPADr. Archil Abashidze – Director of the program
Dr. Archil Abashidze is Associate Professor at Ilia State University, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, teaching courses in Political Science and Public Administration. He holds two master’s degrees – one from the German University of Administrative Sciences in Speyer, and one from the Georgian-American Institute of Public Administration (GIPA). Mr. Archil Abashidze was a Junior Faculty Development Program (JFDP) fellow at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy State University of New York (SUNY) in 2010, a program funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). His career as researcher is related to “the Caucasus Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development” where he was researcher and regional coordinator for several projects: among others, a project in 2008-2009, titled ‘Transparency, Accountability and Civic Participation in the Black Sea Region – a plea for open Parliaments in Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Georgia”.
Dr. David Aprasidze
Professor Aprasidze was one of the initiators of the program and has contributed immensely to shaping both academic and administrative side of the program. Professor Aprasidze holds Ph.D. in Peace and Security obtained from Hamburg University. His work experience is closely related to academia, think-tank foundations, media, etc. on issues related to peace and security, democracy and development, system transformation, international relations and foreign policy, minority integration, constitutional order. He has been published internationally into different languages.
Dr. Nikoloz Kavelashvili
Nikoloz Kavelashvili is currently Chief Financial Officer at Ilia State University (ISU). He is also teaches Finance, Investments, Managerial and Public Economics and works on his doctoral dissertation at ISU. His previous position at ISU was Vice Dean of the the Business School. Before joining ISU, for more than five years, he was director of the Georgian Regional Development Fund, a project of Millennium Challenge Georgia Fund (MCG). The Regional Development Fund aimed to develop the Georgian Economy through investing risk capital in regional Georgian small and medium enterprises (SME) and providing business assistance to these SMEs. Before MCG, he was the Vice President and Georgia Country Manager for Bedminster Capital Management LLC a USD 200 million investment fund, supported by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, an agency of the United States Government. Previously, Nikoloz Kavelashvili was the Executive Director of the Open Society Georgia Foundation and Head of Conoco’s Batumi office. He also worked at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) offices in Georgia. Nikoloz Kavelashvili holds an MA in Economics and Finance from State University of New York at Binghamton, a MS in Physics from Tbilisi State University and a PhD from Ilia State University.
Giorgi Barbakadze
Mr. Giorgi Barbakadze works at the National Bank of Georgia as a Head of Macroeconomics and Statistics Department since early 2010. He holds M.A. in Policy Economics from Williams College in Massachusetts, USA, and two BA degrees – one in Economics and one in Law, both obtained from Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. He is a recipient of the Muskie Graduate Fellowship in 2009. He has undertaken various professional development courses in several countries, topics concerning Macroeconomics, Monetary policy, Economic development, Inflation, Public finance, etc. His career is closely linked to the public sector, specifically in the areas related to public finance at MOF, monetary policy at the National Bank of Georgia, state and local government budget analysis, etc.
Mr. Giorgi Barbakadze has published intensively in the Bulletin on issues such as state’s external and internal debts, state assets abroad, business climate, licensing system, export support, currency crisis and devaluation, insurance system, etc.
Research interests:
Macroeconomic policy, Monetary policy, Inflation Targeting, International economics.
Nodar Tangiashvili
Since June 2015, Nodar Tangiashvili holds the position of Public Policy and Accountability Advisor at East-West Management Institute, leading the policy research, monitoring and advocacy component of Advancing CSO Capacities and Engaging Society for Sustainability (ACCESS) Project, supported by USAID. Before that, Nodar had worked in Georgian civil service for nine years, with his most recent role being Head of International Relations & Policy Department at the Office of State Minister of Georgia for Reconciliation and Civic Equality, government agency responsible for conflict resolution and ethnic minority integration policies. Since 2011, Nodar also serves as a lecturer at Tbilisi State University, teaching graduate courses on policy analysis, policy/program evaluation and public policy.
Aleksandre Ergeshidze
Aleksandre Ergeshidze works at National Bank of Georgia as a senior specialist in Macroeconomic Research division since August 2012. He is participating in preparing regular financial report and is involved in macroeconomic analysis using CGE model. He is also teaching graduate course in Microeconomics and Statistics (BA) at Ilia State University. He holds M.A. in Economics from International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET). He has also undertaken various professional development courses in topics concerning Financial Stability, Macroeconomic policy, Macroeconomic modelling etc.
Research interests: Macroeconomic policy, Financial policy, Macroeconomic modelling, Game Theory
Merab Labadze
Merab Labadze is director and co-founder of Innovative Education Foundation (IEF),a GeorgianNGO aiming atimplementation, piloting and dissemination of innovative methods in education, development of electronic educational resources, promoting STEM education. Currently IEF develops and maintains Khan Academy style video-lesson portal in Georgian – www.kodala.ge.He is also involved in Intel teacher training programs adaptation and education policy consulting. Recently Mr. Labadze managed development of the first online Voting Advice Application for Georgian October 2012 parliamentary elections – www.politbarometri.ge
Previously with support of Estonian experts and officials Mr. Labadze initiated and managed nationwide school computerization program “Deer Leap” that created a basis for further expansion of Information and Communication Technologies in education and IT education.
Mr. Labadze is involved in e-government development in Georgia since 2004 through: organizing trainings of Georgian officials; facilitating participation of Georgian delegation in World Summit on Information Society; consulting work for ICT Business Council of Georgia, USAID Forecast program, other agencies; participation in conferences, roundtables and seminars, academic work. He teaches Innovation and Technology in Public Administration in Ilia State University and also is a co-lecturer in e-Governance in a joint Public Administration Master program of Tbilisi State University and German University of Administrative Sciences Spyer.
In 2008-2009 Merab was a Humphrey fellow in College of Education at Pennsylvania State University focusing on Education Administration, Policy and Planning. He also holds a MS in Physics from Tbilisi State University.
Nino Beruashvili
Nino Beruashvili works at the National Bank of Georgia as Head of Human Resource Management and Development Office. She has more than 10 years of working experience in Human resource management and held various executive positions in different companies. She holds MA degree in Psychodiagnostics and has graduated from the Advance Leadership Program (Judge Business School of Cambridge University). She is an educator with more than 10 years of experience in academic teaching and professional trainings in number of subjects including: HR Management, General Management, Emotional Intelligence, Leadership, Change Management.
Dr. Murtaz Kvirkvaia
Murtaz Kvirkvaia is Professor at Grigol Robakidze University, Tbilisi. He holds a PHD in Economics. During 2006-2007 he was deputy dean of the faculty of Economics and Business at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. Since September 2007 Prof. Kvirkvaia is dean of the school of business and management at Grigol Robakidze University. During 2008-2009 he was Associate Professor at Ilia State University. Murtaz Kvirkvaia was a Junior Faculty Development Program (JFDP) fellow at the University of Nebraska Lincoln and The University of Kansas in 2009-2010 (JFDP is a program funded by the U.S. Department of State, the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) ). Prof. Kvirkvaia has 18 scientific works. He is author of lecture courses and teaching courses in Management, Human Resource Management, and Principles of Economics;
Research interests: Social policy; labor market; labor economics; Pension system; Human recourse management.
Larisa Pataraia
Larisa Pataraia has more than eight years of experience working both in the private and public sectors. She held various executive positions in different companies, including CEO, CFO, Sales Director, Project Manager and the Head of Procurement Department. Currently she is the executive of Harvard Business School MOC Program at ISU. Since 2010 she is a visiting professor at Ilia State University, gives lectures in strategic management for Business College and MPA students, as well as for CSB. She also teaches Microeconomics of Competitiveness course in MBA program at ISU and is a trainer in Developing and Conservation of Protected Areas course. In 2010 she graduated from GAU and received MBA, major in financial management. She received her bachelor degree in 2004 from TSU in General Psychology. Currently she works on her PHD dissertation “Competitiveness of Georgia on Regional level and Cluster Development” at the Business Administration Program at ISU. Her research interests include but are not limited to strategic issues, competitiveness, task environment and cluster development.
Tamta Khutsishvili
Tamta Khutsishvili has seven years working experience in different projects/programs both in governmental and non-governmental organizations. She has been working for state long/short-term projects and programs on managerial positions for years, providing consulting on project writing.
She is a certified project manager, holds a ToT certificate and is a trainer of Project Writing and Management course. As an invited PM trainer, she has cooperated with local, European and international associations, public body organizations and universities. In 2011 she graduated from Tbilisi State University and received Bachelor’s degree, major in Social and Political Sciences. She received her Master Degree in Public Administration from Ilia State University, in 2015.