The first meeting of the project “Places and spaces in and outside of the university”. As part of the first activity, an international student read his Indian Diary . There were discussions about places in India and Georgia and of course the cuisine. Within the framework of the project, informal meetings will continue, which contribute to the deepening of relations, mutual respect and trust towards different cultures.
“Places and spaces in and outside of the university” is a project, carried out by Varlam Cherkezishvili Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies (East European University), which aims to develop the sense of place and care for places, promote deeper realisation of the role of places in university community and create places/spaces within university which offer to the individuals diverse opportunities for self-realisation. To say it in other words, the project aims to create a placeful university. Underlying to the project there is a belief that within higher education the deepening of interpersonal relationships and creation of the atmosphere which fosters personal growth of each participant, mutual sharing of experience and cultivation of humanity’s shared values is no less important than the transfer of certified knowledge and achievement of measurable learning outcomes.
At the given stage of the project, the action research is focused on the following topics:
- place-worlds of international students of East European University;
- development of an intercultural dialogue between international and Georgian students;
- realisation of the principles of ontological education through place-creation, place-discovery and place-caring.
The idea of ontological education is in stark contrast with the principle of measurement which is dominant (and not infrequently, fetishised by managers) in contemporary higher education. Ontological education is not denying the importance economical dimension, it just has its primary focus on the personal growth of students.
Within the framework of the project weekly informal meetings with the students are held in the room of the head of the project (attendance is free). Some meetings are chaired by the head of the project and some are led by students themselves (in these cases topics are chosen by the students). In addition to this, periodically tours are organised within the city or outside of it. After these trips, students create their photostories which are then discussed. Some students also write diaries where they describe their experiences with particular emphasis on places and spaces. These diaries (with introductions written by the students themselves, impressions and photostories) are to be published in Georgian and English in an edited volume.
Working group
Prof. Giorgi Tavadze
Assoc. Prof. Ketevan Aptarashvili
Vandana Kanwar
Aditya Singh Rathore
Shiyash Sachin Dhus
Disha Pankaj Gujarathi
Khushboo Arshad Shaikh