The great Iv. Javakhishvili, laying down the foundation to the first national higher educational establishment at the beginning of the last century, brilliantly determined its form, essence and purpose: "The University represents not only the high scientific establishment, but the higher scientific educational institution as well, where the youth, future generation, guided by scientists and researchers, become proficient in science, get accustomed to the scientific work and gradually obtain the conformity of ideas with their pedagogues; the close spiritual ties between the scientists and future generation are established. Here the living ceaseless course of science has become possible and the science changed into inexhaustible living force."

Just under these circumstances the Tbilisi University and other higher educational institutions have been developing. The Academy of Sciences and its numerous institutions were established on the basis of the university. The process of integration between the Academy and high educational institutes was carried out under the badge of training of new generations for the alive and purposeful science of our country.

The Georgian schools of mathematics, psychology, physiology, science of the Caucasus, science of literature, science of language, oriental and classical philology as well as the modern school of physics were generally recognized in the world through the efforts of the University.

The events developed within the last decade of the XX century put us in the face of extremely complicated reality. The urgency of rapprochement with the world standards of the high education in independent Georgia required the immediate implementation of the radical reforms. In 1994 the Scientific Council of the Tbilisi State University through the elaboration and adoption of the university education conception took the real first steps towards the establishment of new essence. This conception represented a corner stone for the future activity of the state higher education institute.

One of the main aspects of the conception consisted in new development of university science. We created and perfected the modern model, corresponding to the global reality, taking into cognizance the world standards. The model envisages the real basis of training of future scientists, since if we forget that science is the basis of education, we shall lose the prospects of the future, and the normal rotation of generations will be exposed to danger.

The leading state educational institutes of the country, first of all the University, manage to carry out the significant scientific activity alongside with teaching and training of students under extremely heavy conditions.

Provided with vast opportunities to cooperate with foreign scientific centers, we try to expand these contacts. At the same time, if we manage to overcome, the so-called "steeplechase", we have quite high rates.

The contacts with foreign scientific circles are very favorable. It should be particularly noted that annually the number of projects, financed from different funds, has been increasing and under the heavy selective terms for participation in competition numerous grants from INTASIC, TEMPUS-TASIC, KOPERNIKUS and other foundations have been obtained.

The special emphasis should be laid upon the fact, that alongside with the University, the Georgian Technical University, Agrarian University as well as Medical University carry out the large-scale international projects. That means that the level of the technical agro-biological, medical and technological researches meet the international requirements and are estimated not only within the national scale.

Within the recent period the Tbilisi State University has published numerous new manuals, research works-monographs and other material. The unique book "Ivane Javakhishvili – Encyclopedical Vocabulary" was published in 2002. It should be noted, the principle executors of these publications are young scientists, our trustworthy successors.

The activity of the university scientists-lawyers in elaboration and establishment of legislative and normative acts of the country should be particularly mentioned. The research works in the oriental studies, sociology and psychology have been considerably expanded. The special emphasis should be laid on the productivity, international ties and recognition of the scientific-educational institutes of classical philology and science of Byzantium.

In today’s reality, on the basis of the reform of the University development, the creation of such institutions and centers such as the scientific-educational center of High Energies, Athens Georgian-Greek Institute and the Earth’s Remote Exploring scientific center, as well as the Scientific Educational Union "Electronic" has vividly demonstrated the correctness of strategic course of the Tbilisi State University.

Therefore, I believe, that through the creation of the relevant legislative basis, the aforesaid institutes, centers and unions shall strengthen their legal basis.

This year on 8 February 2003, on the Day of Davit Aghmashenebeli, we are celebrating the 85 anniversary of our University. Eighty-five years – is the worthy way passed by the Tbilisi University. Today it is one of the leading educational and scientific centers that determine the political orientation of the country.

I am very pleased to state that the numerous achievements include the establishment and publication of magazine "The East and the Caucasus" by the students of magistrates and postgraduate students of the faculty of oriental studies of the university. This little article was written for the aforesaid magazine as well.

Dear young colleagues, the creators of the magazine, I would like to wish you success, through your excellent academic performance and activity you should contribute to our science, raise its prestige and make your share in the future development of our country.