On 9 October 2026, the closing conference of the project “Strengthening the Implementation Capacity of the Georgian National Qualifications Framework Referencing and Self-Certification Processes” (GEOREF) was held at the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace Hotel as part of the annual international conference of the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement (NCEQE).

The event was opened by Lasha Margishvili, Director of the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement, who highlighted the importance of the GEOREF project in aligning the Georgian National Qualifications Framework (GNQF) with the European meta-frameworks — the European Qualifications Framework for Lifelong Learning (EQF-LLL) and the Qualifications Framework of the European Higher Education Area (QF-EHEA).

The conference brought together international partners and leading experts in the field. Koen Nomden, Head of the EQF Advisory Group at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL), spoke about referencing mechanisms that ensure the transparency, trustworthiness and international comparability of national qualifications frameworks.

Khatia Tsiramua, National Expert of the GEOREF project and Co-Chair of the Bologna Process Thematic Peer Group A on Qualifications Frameworks (TPG A on QF), delivered a presentation on the importance of international cooperation in the process of referencing and self-certifying the National Qualifications Framework of Georgia.

The draft Referencing and Self-Certification Report on the Georgian National Qualifications Framework, developed within the project, was presented by Ketevan Panchulidze, Head of the Qualifications Development Service at NCEQE and GEOREF Project Manager.

The draft report and the work undertaken by Georgia were positively assessed by the international experts involved in the project: Baiba Ramina, Director of the Academic Information Centre (AIC) of Latvia, and Chiara Finocchietti, Director of the Information Centre on Mobility and Academic Equivalences (CIMEA) of Italy. They expressed a positive assessment of the Georgian National Qualifications Framework’s readiness for deeper integration into the European Education Area in terms of its compliance with the relevant criteria.

The conference also featured a panel discussion entitled “Referencing and Self-Certification of the Georgian National Qualifications Framework: Key Success Factors and the Role of Stakeholder Engagement.” Representatives of the higher, vocational and general education sectors discussed the project’s results, the challenges encountered during its implementation, and the next steps. The panel discussion was moderated by Natia Vacharadze, Deputy Head of the Qualification Development Department of the Center and National Expert of the project.

The GEOREF project, which commenced in October 2024, concluded with this closing conference. It was implemented with financial support from the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme and co-financing from the National Center for Educational Quality Enhancement. The project’s results will make a significant contribution to enhancing the international visibility of Georgian qualifications and facilitating the recognition in EU Member States.