Do you know what Traveling University is?
The Traveling University is a civic education platform established by the United Nations Association of Georgia (UNA Georgia) as part of the EU-supported project “Local Investments in Networks for Knowledge and Skill-share” (LINKS).
“Based on the experience of the public, People’s University developed during the First Republic, the Traveling University tries to involve the groups that are less active in civic and public life. Within the Traveling University, lectures, seminars, and discussion meetings are held in villages and regional centers. We want to present human rights, civic activism and engagement, gender equality, and other similar important issues from a historical perspective to illustrate that these issues are not new or foreign to Georgia’s identity but rather the continuation of a process that began a century ago and stalled for a time. Along with all this, the goal of the Traveling University is to inform young people about the demands and expectations of the labor market as well as to promote vocational education and lifelong learning in Georgia” - Teona Lebanidze, Head of the project “Local Investments in Networks for Knowledge and Skill-share” (LINKS).
Lectures are held in about 60 villages and small towns of Georgia, and young people attend meetings on various topics.
"Such lectures are very important for us, the students, because the knowledge gained today will help us greatly in our development. Unfortunately, I had not known much of the information heard during these lectures before. And lectures like these will further diversify our school knowledge” - says Gvantsa Gogitidze, a student of Chibati School, a participant of the Traveling University.
Within the project, lectures on various interesting topics are given by successful professors and lecturers.
“Traveling University was quite widespread and popular in Georgia a century ago. Today, on the one hand, we try to use this experience. On the other hand, we ensure the diversity of its content. We created Traveling University modules that cover both theoretical knowledge and transferring practical skills, including teaching advocacy and engagement skills. The Traveling University format will provide young people living in cities, small towns, and villages with interesting and practical information from researchers, professors, and practicing experts" - says Irakli Iremadze, Coordinator and Lecturer of the Traveling University.
The “Local Investments in Networks for Knowledge and Skill-share” (LINKS) project is implemented by the United Nations Association of Georgia (UNAG) and Open Society Foundation Georgia (OSGF). The project is funded through EU’s larger “Skills4Jobs” program, which aims at assisting thousands of Georgians in finding jobs by enhancing high-quality vocational education, improving lifelong learning opportunities, and supporting entrepreneurship.
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