Georgia - Land of contrasts

21. June 2019 Researcher
Between Soviet nostalgia and post-communist transformation: scientists and experts talk about their experiences. Ö1 Campusradio, June 21st, 8 – 9 p.m.

The Caucasus region attracts a lot of attention in many different ways: whether as a secret tourist tip or because of the unbroken political and historical interest in a region full of contrasts and contradictions between Soviet nostalgia and post-communist transformation.

The progressive liberal part of the Georgian population is not only geographically close to the EU family but also ideologically. A closer look, however, reveals that minority rights, human rights, women's rights, and freedom of expression are certainly at risk.

In this programme Georgian and Austrian academics and experts who, among other things, work in education, science and research for development and cultivate academic cooperation between Austria and Georgia have their say.

Using the example of the ACCES project – Academic Collaboration for (Building) Capacity in Environmental Studies –- within the framework of APPEAR, the higher education cooperation programme of the Austrian Development Cooperation (OEZA), professional and personal experiences are exchanged with the country of contrasts.

Programme design and host: Maiada Hadaia (responsible for the content of the programme)

Interviews with:

Prof. Dr. Irma Inashvili, Project Coordinator, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Tbilisi University of Technology (GTU)

Ing. Dr. Margarita Himmelbauer, Project Coordinator, Department of Soil Physics and Rural Water Management (SoPhy), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna

Prof. Dr. Konstantine Bziava, Project Staff Member, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Tbilisi University of Technology (GTU)

Prof. Dr. Andreas Obrecht, Head of the Department of Education and Research for International Development Cooperation at the OeAD

Erwin Künzi, MCS, Head of the Topics & Quality Unit, ADA (Austrian Development Agency

Veronika Nitsche, MBA, Board Member WUS Austria

Dr. Louise Sperl, Project Manager WUS Austria