On October 9-10, Caucasus University Science Week 2026 opened with the international scientific conference “EU Enlargement: Practices and Challenges.” The conference was organized within the framework of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Chair EU-PPS, in collaboration with the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, with co-funding from the European Union.
Held in a hybrid format, the event provided researchers from different countries with an opportunity to exchange academic knowledge, share research findings, and discuss current developments in European integration.
The conference brought together 38 researchers from nine countries: Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Germany, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Türkiye, and Armenia. Participants discussed contemporary challenges related to the European Union’s enlargement policy, including the rule of law and conditionality, geopolitics and security, the role of education and research in European integration, European values and identity, and the European perspectives of Georgia, Moldova, and Armenia.
The conference participants were welcomed by Kakha Shengelia, President of Caucasus University; Mariam Sulashvili, Director of the Erasmus+ National Office; and Professor Guranda Tchelidze, Coordinator of the Jean Monnet Chair EU-PPS. Welcome addresses were also delivered by Tinatin Giorgadze, Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Davit Tsiklauri, Director of Research Facilitation Department.
The plenary sessions featured Professor Olesea Plotnik, Coordinator of the Jean Monnet Chair EU4JUST-RE at Moldova State University; Professor Radu Carp of the University of Bucharest; and Professor Tchelidze of Caucasus University, Coordinator of the Jean Monnet Chair EU-PPS. Their presentations addressed legal innovations in the enlargement process, the 2027 European elections, and the geopolitical transformation of EU enlargement policy since 2022.
The conference continued with parallel sessions dedicated to the themes “Law, Politics and Governance” and “Education, Society and Culture.” The programme also included an online session featuring international speakers and a Georgian-language session.
At the closing stage of the conference, session moderators presented summaries of the discussions and highlighted the main issues addressed. Certificates of participation and appreciation were presented to the conference speakers and session moderators in recognition of their contributions.
Articles based on the presentations delivered at the conference will be published in a special issue of “Health Policy, Economics and Sociology”, a peer-reviewed scientific journal of Caucasus University.
