Statement by PEN Georgia
PEN Georgia, together with Georgian writers, translators, and publishers who uphold the values of our organization, expresses unwavering solidarity with Ilia State University. Recent government statements and actions threaten the university, calling into question its very existence: 90 percent of its programs, including master’s and doctoral courses, face potential cancellation.
During the recent debates on Imedi TV, the Prime Minister asserted that Ilia State University had only a pedagogical focus during the Soviet period. This claim is not only factually incorrect (Ilia State University did not exist during the Soviet era) but also indicative of a troubling intent to steer Georgia’s education system toward a Soviet-style, authoritarian model.
Founded merely twenty years ago, Ilia State University has emerged as one of the most prominent and respected institutions of higher education in independent Georgia, offering thousands of young people the opportunity to pursue high-quality education annually. Of particular significance to PEN Georgia is the undergraduate program in literary studies, the sole program of its kind in the country, which fosters literary research, promotes Georgian literature, and situates it within the broader global literary context.
Actions targeting Ilia State University inflict profound and irreparable damage on Georgia’s academic landscape, erode academic freedom, and compromise the integrity of the nation’s education system.
We stand in full solidarity with the professors and students of Ilia State University, who persist daily in defending the university’s autonomy and mission.
Interference with the independence of universities is entirely unacceptable.
