AlterBridge - International University of Management and Communication joined the memorandum signed between The Central Election Commission (CEC), Electoral Systems Development, Reforms and Training Centre (Training Centre), and higher education institutions in the implementation of study program in electoral law.

The Memorandum envisages the implementation of an intensive study program for undergraduate students on the issues of election publicity and information availability on the electoral process which has been in force since 2010. The heads of the CEC, the Training Centre, and AlterBridge signed the memorandum today as part of a meeting with representatives of partner education institutions.

At present, CEC and its Training Centre actively cooperate with 15 universities in Tbilisi and regions. Rectors of the participating partner universities and the representatives of the Dean's Office discussed the results of the authorized training program implemented by the CEC’s Training Centre in the field of electoral law and talked about future plans at the meeting.

As CEC Chairperson Giorgi Kalandarishvili noted, the successful implementation of the training program in higher education institutions has led to the growth of a network of partners. “One of the priorities for the election administration is the development of the electoral culture. In light of this, we carry out a number of education programs. In particular, the electoral law course, we have been conducting since 2010, which is organized by the Training Centre. Overall, this education project aims to support the integration of young people and students into the electoral process and increase their civic awareness in the electoral processes”, stated Giorgi Kalandarishvili.

“At today's meeting, we shared the results of the training program in the field of electoral law we have been running for years, evaluated it, and outlined new initiatives. Notably, the Training Center's authorized program has received positive feedback from students. In the framework of the study program, students get familiarized with electoral topics. The key task is to strengthen electoral culture within the youth and acquisition of democratic values”, noted Natia Zaalishvili, director of Training Centre.

“This is an exceptionally important event in the history of our university. Memorandum along with huge responsibility enables us to develop many interesting perspectives, therefore, we are delighted that together with 15 universities, our university is also involved in these processes, which is called, the development of civic consciousness, civic activism, proper election management, proper communication and, most importantly, a society based on democratic values," Mako Jaoshvili, Vice-Rector of AlterBridge said following the meeting.

The Memorandum of Understanding between CEC, its Training Centre and Higher Education Institutions concerning the implementation of study program in the field of electoral law functions since 2010. Around 6 700 students have undergone the given study course so far.