Trin Goes to….Tbilisi

Earlier this year, I applied to go to the Republic of Georgia, a small country in the South Caucasus, to conduct original research. This opportunity was offered as an International Course Module (ICM) through Professor Austin’s European Politics class. As one of the lucky nine students —five of us from Trinity — selected to go on the trip, I now had the opportunity to travel halfway across the world and discover this country on the border of Asia and Europe.

All of our research projects were in some way related to Georgia’s hopes for integration with the European Union, with projects ranging from energy relations, regional cooperation, LGBTQ rights, to the legacy of the Soviet Union on Georgia’s development. After months of preparation and two straight days of travelling (of which nine hours were spent on the lovely floors of Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport), we arrived in Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital. Tbilisi is the political centre of Georgian life, and home to a multitude of unregistered taxi drivers who have no idea where they are going. My advice for next year’s group? Prepare to get lost. And just roll with it.

Over the next few days we spoke to as many people as we could, from government officials like the Deputy Foreign Minister, to the head of NGOs like the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, to members of the EU Delegation to Georgia. The culture in Georgia is very friendly and informal: while we tried to arrange as many interviews as we could ahead of time from Toronto, once we got to Tbilisi people were happy to put us in touch with various organizations and were on the whole very frank and open in their discourse.

Speaking to actors with very different views on the current political situation, they explained the difficulties that Georgia faces transitioning from an authoritarian Soviet-style state to a fully democratic country with an eye towards Europe. Some of the key challenges lie in the realm of economic and judicial reform: high unemployment and an inefficient agricultural sector make it hard for the country to move forward. Many are worried about political retribution, with the new Georgian Dream administration cracking down on former government members like President Mikhail Saakashvili, who is under investigation for various alleged crimes, mainly malfeasance.

In between our interviews we had time to wander around the capital. In Old Tbilisi there is a majestic medieval fortress that overlooks the entire city. Surrounded by Georgian Orthodox churches, it is a site to behold. Georgia is still a very traditional and conservative country and the Church is one of the mainstays of Georgian life. The Georgian Orthodox Patriarch, Ilia II is considered the trustworthiest man in Georgian society. This can help explain the lack of LGBTQ rights that exist in Georgia.

No ICM would be complete without delicious food! Every night we enjoyed traditional Georgian food. Consisting of bread, meat, and more cheese than you can possibly imagine, we certainly had our fill. And of course, no meal would be complete without traditional Georgian wine. An avid wine producing country, Georgians are very proud of the wine that once supplied the entirety of the Soviet bloc. This pride was seen when we toured a winery outside of Tbilisi, in a picturesque town up in the mountains. For those of you who want to try some, Georgian wine can even be found at the LCBO!

I know all of us are extremely proud to have been part of this trip. We survived when we got frequently lost. We learned more about Georgia than we probably know about Canada. We had the opportunity to meet so many warm and welcoming people who were genuinely interested in our research projects.

Although Georgia is a small country, its rich and lengthy history makes it impossible to study it all in one week, but it continues to supply interesting and complex research initiatives. At a geopolitical crossroads, Georgia will certainly be a focus in the coming years as its northern neighbor, Russia, continues its aggressive and expansionist foreign policy.

With the amount of interest in international relations and history at Trinity, this trip is an excellent opportunity for students to go abroad and explore a place they have never been, and are unlikely to go on their own. The Georgia ICM is a chance to learn research skills that will be incredibly valuable for future post-graduate education. If you have the chance, apply to go! You will not regret the time you put into your project and the people you will meet.

#ICM #Abroad #RobertAusten #Georgia #internationaloportunities #georgia #expandingeurope