On May 4, a mutual agreement memorandum was signed by Nino Chelidze, the acting director of the International Education Center, Magda Maghradze, the acting director of the Millennial Challenge Foundation, William Tong, chairman of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at San Diego State University, and Walter Oechel, dean of the Department of Natural Sciences.
The collaborative memorandum foresees an introduction of international collaboration in the education process, the strengthening, development, and preparation of expert professionals for the job market by San Diego State University, and the support of Georgian students in academic activities on the California campus of San Diego State University.
There will be a joint collaboration of the parties with the aim of guaranteeing financial support for students having Georgian citizenship.
After enrollment in Masters as well as doctoral programs oriented towards chemistry and biochemistry at San Diego State University, the International Education Center will take care of financing for studies at the university for Georgian citizens with $10,000 over the course of one year.
San Diego State University itself will take care of students financed by the International Education Center through employment connected to teaching, with a compensation of $16,050 for part-time in Masters programs, and with a compensation of $20,004 for doctoral program students over the course of one academic year.
The memorandum will be in force for six years.
The International Education Center was founded in 2014 and has given out more than 500 study grants to Georgian citizens desiring to study abroad during the years 2014-2017. A portion of them have already finished their studies, returned to the country, and are continuing to realize the knowledge received in their own country.
San Diego State University (SDSU) is an American university having a hundred-year history. It is one of the largest and most demanding institutes of higher education in the state of California. Through the financial support of a second contract with the Millennium Challenge Corporation of America, San Diego State University has offered high quality Bachelors programs having international accreditation in the STEM disciplines in Georgia since 2015. These programs assist in the development of the engineering, construction, and natural science disciplines and in the preparation of a highly-qualified work force in Georgia.
The Millennium Challenge Foundation - Georgia implements projects from 2014-2019 through a 140 million dollar grant from the US government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation. The compact is an international contract that was written up between the Georgian and American governments in 2013 and was ratified by the Parliament of Georgia.
Within the framework of the compact, the Millennium Challenge Foundation implements projects in the general, professional sector of higher education having the goal of developing the human capital according to demands of the job market in STEM disciplines.