Georgia's Higher Education Reforms and Anti-Western Shift

Georgia (country)'s governing Georgia===Georgian Dream party has enacted sweeping higher education reforms under a 'one faculty, one city' model. These reforms significantly cut programs and admission quotas, particularly affecting Ilia State University, which faces potential closure. Critics view these changes as politically motivated and part of a broader anti-Western shift by the Georgia===Georgian Dream government, aiming to deepen ties with Russia and move away from the European Union. The reforms have sparked renewed anti-government protests among students and university staff, who fear the suppression of free-thinking institutions and a decline in the quality of education. International bodies like the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe have noted 'marked democratic backsliding' in Georgia (country) in connection with these reforms.