Batumi State University

The Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University (Georgian: ბათუმის შოთა რუსთაველის სახელობის სახელმწიფო უნივერსიტეტი) is the higher educational university in Batumi, capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. Georgia. It is named after the medieval Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli.

The establishment and development of the educational system in Adjara was a long-time endeavor of the Georgian community. In 1893 the issue was raised to open a Boys’ Gymnasium in Batumi. On 26–27 June 1893 the Municipality of the city granted 2 623, 95 sq/m area of land for the Boys’ Gymnasium at the seaside. The project was designed by a military engineer Sedelnikov. The first floor of the building allocated a gym while the second floor contained the church, assembly hall, eight classrooms, art classroom, physics study-room, laboratory and a library. The Boys’ Gymnasium started functioning in July, 1897. On 26 September 1900 it became possible to open a Women’s Gymnasium as well. Later, by 1923, a Pedagogical Institute was founded in the building of former Women’s Gymnasium (present Public School №2) which afterwards turned into a Pedagogical College. It used to prepare the first stage school teachers.

In the building of the Boys’ Gymnasium in 1935 a 2-year Teacher’s Institute was opened with 4 faculties: Georgian Language and Literature, Physics and Mathematics, History, Natural Sciences and Geography. To this the faculty of Physical Education was added in 1936 and a faculty of Russian Language and Literature – in 1938. In 1938 the Institute was named after Shota Rustaveli. The first director of the Teachers’ Institute was Khusein Nakaidze. A significant assistance was rendered to the Institute in providing the scientific personnel by other higher educational institutions of Georgia, first and foremost – Tbilisi State University. The following outstanding representatives of the Georgian academia conducted fruitful activities within the walls of the Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University (that time Teachers’ Institute): Giorgi Akhvlediani, Giorgi Tsereteli, Iase Tsintsadze, Sargis Kakabadze, Simon Kaukhchishvili, Giorgi Tavzishvili, Razhden Khutsishvili, Dimitri Gedevanishvili, Giorgi Javakhishvili, Vukol Beridze, Shota Dzidziguri and others. It is owing to them as well that the newly established higher institution soon gained the reputation – a system of teaching and research activities was formed and the preparation of local academic staff took its beginnings – by 1943 there were 5 candidates of sciences at the Institute already.