About the International School of Economics at TSU (ISET), Tbilisi, Georgia
The International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET) was created in response to a letter in 2005 from Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania – just three weeks before his tragic death - to World Bank President James Wolfensohn, in which he appealed for help in "creating our own capability to train young economists in modern economics, as it is taught all over the world, and to conduct economics research here in Georgia".
Initial input from the World Bank and ongoing support from the Government of Georgia, the Government of Germany, and Tbilisi State University – in cooperation with an international group of donors including BP, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Open Society Institute Higher Education Support Program, and the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) – have made Zhvania's dream a reality. ISET opened its doors to students in 2006 to offer the first world-class Master's Program in Economics in the South Caucasus.
The continued success of the Master’s degree program helped facilitate the launch of the Bachelor’s degree program in economics in 2017. The BA curriculum mirrors the best economics programs in North America and Western Europe. Specializations in finance and public policy prepare students for careers in economic research, policy analysis, commercial banking, financial markets, insurance, business, and policy consulting.
Basic Facts
- International quality Master's and Bachelor’s Programs in Economics;
- English-language curriculums;
- Regional mandate (South Caucasus);
- The high number of Ph.D. placements: Stanford, Chicago, New York University and Pennsylvania, Caltech among others);
- International resident faculty (all with Ph.D. from prestigious programs in Europe and North America);
- More than two dozen senior visiting faculty from Israel, Western Europe, and the US;
- International student exchanges at top-rated economics schools at Clermont-Auvergne University in France, Norwegian School of Economics in Norway; summer schools and research workshops at Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden and other partner institutions.
- Employment and professional internships: 98% of ISET graduates (with the exception of those studying abroad) are currently employed in professional and analytical positions.
- Teaching Fellows Program under the grant of the CERGE-EI Foundation (Czech Republic). All fellows receive pedagogical training in Prague and active mentoring from senior faculty at CERGE-EI and ISET. They go on to teach modern, market-based economics in different universities of the region.
- Enrollment in applied concentrations in Economic Theory, Energy Economics, Inclusive Growth, Macroeconomic Policy, and Modern Data Analysis.
- An affiliated think-tank – ISET Policy Institute – to engage students, graduates, and faculty in policy research, training and outreach for the benefit of the broader academic, public and private sector communities in the South Caucasus.