IICRR hosted two visiting scholars from the Republic of Georgia during the week of 9th to 14th April. This visit was funded by the Erasmus + Academic Mobility programme. Prof Eka Akobia is the Dean of the School of Governance, Caucasus University and former diplomat with the Georgian Ministry for Foreign Affairs.  Prof Giorgi Badridze is a lecturer at the School of Governance, Caucasus University and former Georgian Ambassador to the UK.

Both lecturers delivered talks to undergraduate and post graduate students studying Russia and the former Soviet Space and participated in a round table session with PhD students. In addition they delivered a guest lecture at the Irish School of Ecumenics at Trinity College Dublin. They spoke on a range of topics including: South Caucasus, the Georgia-Russia conflict and the wider European and Global political context. This visit was organised building on connections made during the PESTUGE project on peace studies education in Georgia. PESTUGE is a three-year Erasmus+ funded project which DCU coordinates.