The aim of the project is to get Summer School participants acquainted with the modern theoretical debates in the field of
Security Studies and demonstrate the importance of understanding issues related to peace and conflict through
interdisciplinary and multi methodological perspectives. Also, by employing practical elements integrated into the
programme, project aims to assist participants in developing skills to apply theoretical knowledge gained within the school
in practice.
The school programme is designed so that both aforementioned objectives can be attained. In particular, in the first part of
the programme, School participants get familiarized with key concepts, theories,approaches and modern issues in the field of
Security Studies, while on the basis of practical components integrated into it, they observe how different theories and
approaches are applied in reality. Practical components integrated into Summer School program, such as developing policy
brief on the topics related to security; training and simulation of international negotiations and other group-work activities
ensure that participants develop important applied knowledge and skills alongside with theoretical ones.
In the summer school, together with Georgian professors and students, professors and students from USA, particularly, from
Coastal Carolina University will also be involved, with this contributing to the formation of the international environment
and a dialogue between different academic approaches.
At the same time, students and professors from Georgian regional universities will be involved in the Summer School as well.
Namely, from Akaki Tsereteli State University (Kutaisi, Western Georgia), National Defense Academy (Gori, Eastern Georgia,
located adjacent to occupation line with South Ossetia/Samachablo Region) and Sokhumi State University (University
originally located in Sokhumi, Abkhazia). Involvement of regional Universities on the one hand will ensure exchange of
knowledge and perspectives among Georgian Universities from center and peripheries and on the other hand, will be
tremendously important that regional Universities that were directly affected by conflicts will be involved in the project and
will provide real-world experiences related to the topics of Summer School.
At the same time, the concept of the School is based on the assumption that full comprehension of security challenges
envisages the involvement of actors beyond the academic space. Therefore, to gain the broader understanding of the security
challenges, the representatives from the government and non-government sectors also participate in the School.
The Summer School and its programme promote popularization of modern debates on the security studies, improvement of
knowledge and development of skills of participants and intranational and international cooperation among academic
institutions, as well as the government and non-government sectors.