On October 19, 2022 Tbilisi State Medical University Horizon Europe Grant Office was visited by the European Commission representatives: Silvia Bojinova, European Neighborhood Policy Team Leader, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, Matthiad Woursch, European Commission representative, Nino Inasaridze, country representative for Georgia and Zaza Maruashvili, Head of Science and Technology Department at the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia. 

The guests were met by Professor Sophia Bakhtadze Vice Rector of TSMU, Assistant Professor Tinatin Kilasonia Head of International Relations Department, Professor Tinatin Chikovani Head of Department of Education Management, Assessment and Students Registration, Tamar Gvasalia TSMU Horizon Europe Office Coordinator, Assoc. Prof. Luiza Gabunia Director of the TSMU Clinical Skills and Multidisciplinary Simulation Center, Nino Kandelaki Erasmus+ Institutional Coordinator and TSMU doctoral students. 

Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation with a budget of €95.5 billion. Within 2021-2027 the grants are supposed to be distributed to strengthen scientific and research projects, inventions and innovative ideas.

The goal of Georgia is to participate in the EU Framework Programme Horizon Europe and integrate scientific potential of the country into the European Research Area. As a consequence, Horizon Europe Grant offices have been opened at diverse Georgian higher education institutions. The aim of the offices is to give Georgian scientists and innovators the opportunity to engage in large-scale scientific programs and implement various projects.

Tbilisi State Medical University Horizon Europe Grant Office was opened in June 2022. The office aims to coordinate ongoing research in the field of medicine throughout the country.