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.