What University Licensing and Authorization Mean
University licensing is one of the principal legal instruments of the educational space in Georgia: obtaining the status of a higher education institution and issuing a state-recognized document confirming education are possible only through the procedures established by law. Two elements form the foundation of this system: the establishment of a higher education institution as a legal entity of private law, and authorization — the procedure for obtaining the status. A legal entity of private law may be founded for the purpose of obtaining the status of a higher education institution, but this founding takes place under the rules and conditions approved by the Government of Georgia, on the basis of a concept for higher education activity endorsed by the Government. Authorization, in turn, is the procedure for obtaining the status of a higher education institution, aimed at ensuring compliance with the standards necessary for issuing a state-recognized document confirming education.
The Standards and Content of Authorization
The authorization standards concern the mission and strategic development of the institution, its organizational structure and governance, educational programs, personnel, students and support measures, research, development or other creative activity, and material, informational and financial resources. This list defines what a prospective institution must prepare: its mission and strategy must be substantiated in documents, its governance transparent, its programs aligned with educational goals, its personnel and student support secured by real mechanisms, and its resources sufficient for long-term functioning. The authorization term is 6 years, which means the status is renewed periodically and compliance with the standards is not a one-off exercise. The standards are, moreover, interdependent: the quality of educational programs rests on the qualifications of personnel, student support on institutional resources, and research activity on the material and informational base — so the preparation of an institution must rest on a complete balance rather than on strengthening a single sphere in isolation.
Who Carries Out Authorization and Who Decides
Authorization is carried out by the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, under the procedure established by the regulation on authorization of educational institutions. To ensure the conduct of authorization, the Center creates an expert group for the authorization of higher education institutions, whose creation and rules of activity are determined by the authorization regulation. The decision on authorization is taken by the Authorization Council for higher education institutions, composed of permanent and invited members. Invited members participate in the Council's work only where the application of a status seeker indicates a regulated academic higher education program, and they have the right to vote. This distinction matters: the content of the application determines the composition of the Council and, accordingly, the kind of expertise the evaluation requires. Together, the expert group's assessment and the Council's decision form the transparent process through which an institution acquires its status: the group records compliance with the standards, and the Council, on the basis of that assessment, decides whether to grant authorization.
What a Founder Should Know Before Founding
For a founder, the first step is choosing the correct legal form: a legal entity of private law is founded on the basis of an endorsed concept of higher education activity, and the concept itself must be approved by the Government under the established procedure. The next stage is preparing the authorization application: the programs indicated in it determine the format of the review, while the list of standards determines the volume of documentation the institution must submit. The expert group conducts its evaluation under the procedure set by the regulation, and the institution's readiness before that process determines the quality of the outcome — deficits such as the absence of a mission, an unconsidered program structure or insufficient resources surface precisely at the authorization stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
For what term is authorization granted?
The authorization term is 6 years — the status is reviewed periodically.
Who takes the authorization decision?
The Authorization Council, with permanent and, where required, invited members; the process is ensured by the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement.
Which areas do the authorization standards cover?
Mission and strategy, governance, programs, personnel, student support, research and creative activity, and material, informational and financial resources.
Can a foreign citizen or company found an institution?
An institution is founded as a legal entity of private law under the procedure established by legislation; founder matters are governed by that procedure, while the status itself is obtained only through authorization.
How We Help on Legal.ge
On Legal.ge we assist at every stage of founding and authorizing a higher education institution: we prepare the concept and authorization documentation, structure the programs so that they meet the standards, and represent your interests in dealing with the expert group and the Authorization Council. Experience shows that a correct structure written at the founding stage prevents the risks of the authorization stage: programs and resources computed in advance do not raise questions from the expert group but provide ready answers to them. Contact us from the stage of developing the concept.