Scientists from European and American universities criticized the process of selecting projects of the Rustaveli National Foundation

Scientists from European and American universities who participated in the selection process for scientific projects of the Rustaveli National Foundation wrote a letter to the director of the foundation, Jaba Samushia, in which they criticized the selection process for projects and warned that they would closely monitor the extent to which scientists would be able to implement the winning projects.

The reason for the letter was the disagreement that arose in February 2022, when the Directorate of the National Museum of Georgia rejected 13 winning projects of the competition, presumably because among the projects was the project of scientists released from the subordinate institutions of the Ministry of Culture.

At a press conference shortly after the information was made public, Eka Kiknadze, the author of one of the projects, who was first demoted and then fired from the Museum of Art, accused Minister of Culture Teya Tsulukiani of discriminating against people she simply does not like.

Kiknadze said at the time that the director of the National Museum was unable to provide strong arguments for refusing grants.

Dispute between the National Museum and the Ministry of Culture over grants for scientific projects
At the same time, Nika Akhalbedashvili, a member of the directorate and director of the Museum of Art, appointed by Teya Tsulukiani, said then that such a decision was caused by the submission of projects with gross procedural violations.

The authors of the letter state that the newly created directorate, which included the general director of the museum, Professor David Lortkipanidze, who supported the funding of the projects, and four newly appointed members, only one of whom is professionally associated with history and social sciences, and who voted against these projects, refused in funding projects “for purely procedural” reasons.

The signatories noted that “despite the fact that most of the projects were finally given access to funding amid protests from Georgian and foreign scientists, one of them is still blocked.”

The authors of the letter express their concern about the dismissal and demotion of employees of the Historical Museum. Janashiya and the Museum of Art. Amiranashvili, as well as the delay in issuing permits for archaeological excavations.

According to them, most of the researchers fired from the National Museum received grants from the Rustaveli Foundation, but could not conduct their research “because of the denial of access to the museum’s funds.”

“Despite the fact that the released scientists applied with an official letter to the directorate of the National Museum for the right to work in the funds, they did not receive a response to this appeal,” the letter says.

The National Museum of Georgia is a public institution and any citizen of Georgia has the right to enter and conduct research there.

The authors of the letter state that the process of evaluating research projects in Georgia should be carried out according to the same standards as in Europe, America or elsewhere, and that decisions related to the funding of scientific projects should be made based on the value of the projects and the scientists involved. in them, “rather than on the basis of their political loyalty or views on government policy.”