The central part of the meeting focused on Work Package 4, with Prof. Marijana Mladenov, PhD presenting the progress made in creating the legal and strategic framework. This was followed by presentations on the ongoing amendments to the Higher Education Act, delivered by Maia Shukhoshvili on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia, and on the changes to accreditation criteria, presented by Lasha Margishvili, Deputy Director of the NCEQE.

The discussion on amendments to accreditation criteria confirmed that new regulations will require institutions implementing dual programs to conclude a Cooperation Agreement, the draft of which must be approved by the NCEQE prior to submitting an accreditation request. In addition, provisions specifying the scope of theoretical and practical components of dual programs, as well as the teaching methods for practical training, will be incorporated into the Sectoral Reference Standards for Higher Education. The meeting concluded with a review of the implementation of all project obligations for 2025, accompanied by constructive discussions among all participants.

These results confirm the establishment of a normative framework for implementing dual education in Georgia’s higher education system, thereby achieving the key objectives of the DUGEOR project.