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The implementation of the Competitive Innovation Fund (CIF) in Georgia is considered within the framework of the project - "Innovation, Inclusion and Quality Project - Georgia I2Q ​​(WB)". The investment project is financed by the World Bank/IBRD and is implemented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia. CIF is a targeted financing model. The fund is available for universities to implement new initiatives and innovative approaches and to solve existing problems in the areas of teaching, learning and research. The use of technology and modern teaching methods, which, in turn, promotes innovation and the development of the university management system, is a potential tool through which the university, through partnerships and consortia, will fulfill its economic and social mission and make a positive contribution to the development of society.

The importance of targeted support planned and implemented by CIF to higher educational institutions was discussed within the framework of the "SQUARE" project, at the final conference on December 2023-11, 12 at Ilia State University in Tbilisi - Addressing 3rd Mission in Universities: Local and Global I International Dissemination Conference.

In 2022, the I2Q project held its first CIF competition, within which 13 project proposals were funded (with a total funding of approximately $2.1 million). The winning projects cover various fields of study such as maritime education, arts, medicine, health, psychology, law, engineering and more. Projects, for example, aim to develop/strengthen:

a) New opportunities for providing mental health services by introducing a transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) system in the counseling center and expanding the center's mandate: services will be available not only to students, but to the entire population of Georgia. The project will help improve overall mental health once treatment protocols are piloted and adapted. Expanding the mandate of the consulting service will also support the university's auxiliary economic activities.

b) Connection between engineering education and labor market requirements, especially by strengthening practical components in educational programs in the direction of manufacturing business, by offering training seminars, joint research activities and other innovations, within the framework of which the private sector and the university, with the involvement of students, will unite in response to specific business challenges. The program provides private sector access to the latest advances in the field; And students, under the guidance of academic staff, have the opportunity to focus on solving a specific problem for the employer.

c) Multidisciplinary/multiprofessional practical training laboratories (hub), which will give students of psychology and social work educational programs the opportunity to prepare an analysis of different professions for disabled people and to identify relevant specific work skills. In addition, through the employment of disabled persons and the development of professional skills, their social integration will be promoted.

Considering the content of the proposed projects, it can be said that CIF has become a kind of impetus for higher education institutions to focus on the implementation of issues related to the third mission and, therefore, to bring benefits to the wider society.

Within the framework of the I2Q project, CIF will be implemented in two stages. CIF's second funding window is currently open and its total budget is $2.2 million. After the completion of the I2Q project, CIF, as a diversified financing mechanism for higher educational institutions, will remain under the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia. And competitions, for the successful implementation of targeted activities, will be announced by mobilizing state budget funds.

Fostering the third mission of universities – Tamar Sanikidze

The introduction of the Competitive Innovation Fund (CIF) in Georgia is being considered under the Georgia I2Q ​​– Innovation, Inclusion and Quality (I2Q) Project that is an investment project funded by the World Bank/IBRD and implemented by the Ministry of Education Science and Youth of Georgia. The concept of the CIF as a targeted funding pool that can be accessed by groups within the university community to carry out new initiatives and innovative approaches to address the existing problems in teaching, learning or research. Using technology and modern pedagogical approaches, incentivizing innovation and supporting development of the university management system potentially provides a clear and possibly even dedicated instrument for implementing the economic and social mission of the university and realizing its contribution to communities through partnerships and consortium actions.

The importance of targeted support for the higher education institutions planned and implemented through CIF was discussed during the final conference within the project SQUARE – Addressing 3rd Mission in Universities: Local and Global 1st International Dissemination Conference on December 11-12, 2023 at Ilia State University , Tbilisi, Georgia.  

In 2022, I2Q project has already held CIF first competition with 13 proposals receiving funding (with a total funding of approx. $2.1 million). The projects funded under the first funding window cover various fields of study, such as maritime and arts education, medicine, healthcare, psychology, law, engineering, etc. For a more thorough vision, projects are aimed at developing eg:

New opportunities to provide mental health services by establishing the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) system at the Counseling Center and expand the center's mandate by serving not only students (free of charge) but also the entire population of Georgia to improve their mental well-being, after piloting and adapting the treatment protocols. Expansion of the Counseling Service's mandate will also contribute to the auxiliary economic activities of the university.

b) Better linkages between engineering education and the demands of the labor market, particularly in the field of manufacturing businesses, by incorporating practical components into training programs, offering training seminars, conducting joint research activities, and implementing other innovative under which the private sector and the university join forces to address specific business challenges, with students participating hands-on. The program provides the private sector with cost-effective access to cutting-edge academic knowledge and expertise in the field, while a team of students guided by academic staff focus on solving their specific problem.

Multidisciplinary/multi-professional practical learning laboratories (hub), which will be used for students of psychology and social work programs as a practical platform where an analysis of various professions for people with disabilities will be prepared, specific work skills of people with disabilities will be identified, and their social integration will be promoted.

Considering the project contents proposed by the universities, it can be concluded that the CIF served as a major trigger for HEI to focus on issues related to the university's third mission implementation thus contributing to benefitting the larger society.   

Within the framework of the I2Q project, the CIF will be implemented in two stages. The CIF second funding window is currently open with a total budget of $2.2 million. After the completion of the I2Q project, the CIF as an additional diversified financing mechanism in HE will remain under the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia and the following competitions will be announced through the mobilization of state budget funds to enable the target actions to be successfully achieved.