From October 13 to 15, Caucasus University President Dr. Kakha Shengelia and Vice President for Internationalization Ms. Irena Melua participated in the 60th Anniversary and Semi-Annual Meeting of the International Association of University Presidents (IAUP), held in Seoul, South Korea.

Hosted by Seoul Cyber University (SCU) and co-organized with IAUP, the event brought together university presidents, rectors, and higher education leaders from more than 40 countries under the theme “Higher Education Reimagined: Innovation, Inclusion, and Global Collaboration in the AI Era.”

The official opening ceremony featured welcoming remarks by IAUP President Dr. Shawn Chen, followed by congratulatory addresses from H.E. Choi Kyo-Jin, Minister of Education of the Republic of Korea; Mr. O-bong Yang, President of the Korean Council for University Education; and Dr. Ted Mitchell, President of the American Council on Education (ACE).

As part of the 60th Anniversary celebrations, former IAUP Presidents were recognized and honored with symbolic awards for their outstanding contributions to the Association’s global mission - among them, Dr. Kakha Shengelia, former IAUP President (2017–2020).

Dr. Shengelia also chaired Session 3–“Collaborative Pathways: University Partnerships in the Digital Era,” where distinguished speakers from Japan, Korea, Mexico, Romania, and Malaysia discussed new models of academic collaboration and digital transformation in higher education.

During the event, Caucasus University signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Seoul Cyber Universityand Siam University (Thailand). These partnerships aim to promote academic exchange, joint programs, and collaborative initiatives in innovation and entrepreneurship, further strengthening Caucasus University’s strategic engagement across Asia.

The Seoul meeting marked a major milestone in IAUP’s history, celebrating 60 years of leadership, inclusion, and global cooperation among university presidents dedicated to advancing higher education worldwide.