The Second Georgia-Oxford Forum

 

 

 

THE SECOND GEORGIA-OXFORD FORUM

 

GEORGIA IN A CHANGING WORLD

 

2 June 2023

Nissan Lecture TheatreSt Antony’s College, University of Oxford

62 Woodstock Road, OX2 6JF

 

 

Announcing the Second Georgia-Oxford Forum organised by the Embassy of Georgia to the UK in partnership with the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) and Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia.

The annual forum serves as a dynamic platform, enhancing partnership initiatives between Georgia and the UK, and calls on expertise from across the academic disciplines, including but not limited to political science, international relations, history, literature, archaeology, cinematography, cultural studies, sociology, anthropology, economics and business.
 

This event is open to the public. For registration, please click here
 

Programme

 

Coffee and Tea – 10.00-10.30

 

10.30 - 11.00 Welcome and Introduction 

 

  • Professor Roger Goodman, Warden of St Antony's College
  • Professor Paul Chaisty, Head of Oxford School of Global and Area Studies
  • Sophie Katsarava MBE, Ambassador of Georgia to the UK
  • Mark Clayton, British Ambassador to Georgia

 

11.00 – 11.45 Panel I: Keynote Speech followed by Q&A - Pedro Serrano, European Union Ambassador to the United Kingdom

 

11.45 – 13.00 Panel II: Georgia’s Strategic and International Partnerships

 

The UK’s continued support towards the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, at a time of global uncertainty – marked by Russia’s military agression in Ukraine, issues around Black Sea Security, and protracted regional conflicts linked with other security and economic challenges – holds growing importance. Against this background, the opening panel will discuss strategic and regional security challaneges and opportunities and the key role that the UK and wider international community can play in contributing to the stability and security of the region and Georgia’s continuing journey towards EU and NATO membership.

 

Chair: Professor Roy Allison, Professor of Russian and Eurasian International Relations, OSGA

 

Panelists:

  • Jonathan Djanogly, MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Georgia 
  • Sophie Katsarava MBE, Ambassador of Georgia to the UK
  • Dr Nino Kemoklidze, Associate Professor, Defense and Security Program, Rabdan Academy
  • Dr Diana Galeeva, Visiting Fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies
  • Professor David Siroky, Professor of Politics, Department of Government, University of Essex

13.00 – 14.00 Lunch Break

 

14.00 – 14.45 Panel III: Georgian Studies Fellowship Programme

 

In 2017, the Russian and East European Studies Center at OSGA established the Georgian Studies Programme to act as a focus for the academic study of and research on Georgia in its regional environment across the University of Oxford. Generously supported by the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation under the aegis of the Ministry of Education of Georgia, the programme works to help coordinate the study and research about Georgia in the social sciences and the humanities, including modern history, raise the profile of Georgian studies and research in the UK and beyond, showcase materials and sources related to Georgia and host postdoctoral scholars from Georgia to carry out their one-year research projects in Oxford. After a 2-year gap due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year Oxford has welcomed three new scholars from Georgia in the fields of humanities, social sciences and Georgian Studies. The second panel opens the floor for their presentations about their ongoing research activities at the University of Oxford.

 

Chair: Professor Dan Healey, Georgian Programme Coordinator

 

Panellists :

  • Dr Giorgi Cheishvili, Georgian Studies Fellow
  • Dr Shota Matitashvili, Georgian Studies Fellow
  • Dr Nino Kavtaria, Georgian Studies Fellow

 

14.45 – 15.15 Coffee and Tea Break

 

15.15 – 16.00 Panel IV: Keynote lecture ‘Georgia at a Cross Roads in European Security’ -

Dr Neil Melvin, Director International Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

 

16.00 – 17.00 Panel V: Georgia’s Youth and the Power of Education Partnerships, Women Entrepreneurs 

 

Through different funding and scholarship programmes and bilateral partnerships between the two countries, the UK has hosted many prospective Georgian students for many years and gave them a chance to receive a high-quality education and broaden their networks globally. This has been especially important for empowering Georgian women. This panel highlights the opportunities partnership in the field of education has opened for Georgian female entrepreneurs and asks how we can further leverage educational activities and partnerships in the field to increase the involvement of Georgian women in entrepreneurship and other fields as well.

 

Chair: Dr Nicolette Makovicky, Programme Director at Russian and East European Studies, Gender Hub Convenor, OSGA

 

Panelists:

  • Irma Matoshvili - Student at Oxford Brookes University, Chevening Scholar 
  • Megi Lolua – Student at Westminster University 
  • Nino Dvalidze – CEO at Edumentors 
  • Thea Mikadze – Student at the University of Cambridge, Chevening Scholar 

17.00 - 18.00 Reception with Georgian wine and a talk about Georgia’s unique wine-making tradition from Georgios Iordanidis, Head of Wine at Annabel’s.

 

Followed by musical performance from Women’s Georgian Choir in Oxford.