Caucasus University proudly announces the release of Making Higher Education Count: Embracing the Supermarket Model, led by Prof. Kakha Shengelia, PhD, President of Caucasus University, and co‑authored by Dr. Fred Kasirye, PhD, management scholar and Assistant to the Director of Projects.

Drawing on extensive travels and global engagements, Prof. Shengelia offers a vision of higher education that must make meaning, stand out, and transform societies in a volatile and uncertain future. His long-standing interest in reform, governance, and international collaboration anchors the supermarket model-a metaphor for renewal where clarity, accessibility, and adaptability define institutions ready to serve learners and communities.

The book translates complex challenges into accessible metaphors-aisles as curriculum pathways, checkouts as assessment systems, faculty as navigators of learning-while also offering practical frameworks for curriculum design, governance, and student co‑creation.

Special appreciation is extended to Dr. Kasirye for contributions that added realistic insights and grounded perspectives, ensuring the model resonates across diverse institutions and learners.

Foreword Perspectives

The publication is enriched by voices from global higher education:

• Bob Smith, Executive Director of the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at The George Washington University, situates the work within the global reform agenda, emphasizing agility, accountability, and innovation. His expertise in entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems provides a strong contextual anchor for the supermarket model.
• Nora Lappalainen, Project Manager at Haaga‑Helia University of Applied Sciences, highlights co‑creation, service design, and lifelong learning in the digital and green transitions, drawing on her leadership in Erasmus+ projects to illustrate practical pathways for student‑centered learning.

Their reflections underscore the book’s relevance to leaders, faculty, and students navigating the future of learning.

A Call to Action

This book is more than a publication-it is an invitation. Educators, students, policymakers, and partners are encouraged to engage with its ideas, reflect on their own institutional journeys, and join the movement toward a more responsive and transformative higher education system.