Invisible University for Georgia

Invisible University Georgia (IUGEO) is a certificate program offering ECTS credits, initiated by Central European University for undergraduate (BA) and graduate (MA and PhD) students from Georgia, whether they reside in Georgia or abroad. It builds on the model and experience of the Invisible University for Ukraine, launched in spring 2022. The name of this transnational solidarity program evokes various nineteenth- and twentieth-century underground and exile educational initiatives (such as the “flying universities”) in Eastern Europe, as well as the tradition of Invisible Colleges formed after 1989 in the region. 

IUGEO is a regional branch of the Global Invisible University (GIU), a non-degree educational program supporting students and scholars living under war, authoritarianism, political repression, and displacement. GIU builds on the success of the Invisible University for Ukraine and expands regional branches for Georgia, Belarus, and Southeastern Europe.  

The program offers Georgian students an intensive learning experience on the role of Georgia in changing European and global contexts, placing questions relevant to Georgian students in a transnational comparative perspective. The program is not intended to replace or duplicate what Georgian universities already offer, but to create new opportunities in areas of study that are being cut back. By strengthening the ties of Georgian educational institutions, scholars, and students to transnational networks, we hope to counter academic isolation and broaden students’ access to educational resources and knowledge. We also hope to create a community of Georgian students and academics who can contribute to the resilience of Georgian society. 

The program is designed in a hybrid format (online teaching, complemented by an on-site winter school in January 2027 in Budapest). The program comprises four components:

  • thematic courses, including small group meetings mentored by doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars;
  • students’ individual research projects;
  • a series of online and offline workshops;
  • skill-building activities (academic English, academic writing).

STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM

IUGEO offers two online interdisciplinary courses in the field of Humanities and Social Sciences. In addition, IUGEO students can attend nine courses offered by the programs within the broader GIU framework.

Each course consists of 12 sessions of 100 minutes each, equal to 4 ECTS credits. Students are expected to take at least one and not more than three courses. In addition, IUGeo offers several short trans-disciplinary intensive online seminars. Courses are taught online, in English, in late afternoons once a week per class. Classes are recorded, and registered students who are unable to attend the online sessions can watch the recordings later.

IUGEO COURSE OFFERINGS IN FALL 2026:

  • The Informal Leviathan: Networks, Institutions, and the Dynamics of Control and Resistance. Course co-directors: Giga Zedania (Ilia State University) and Ghia Nodia (Ilia State University)
  • Identity, Memory, and Civic Transformation in Post-1989 Georgia and Ukraine. Course co-directors: Nino Gozalishvili (The University of Georgia, Tbilisi; The George Washington University, Washington DC) and Rusudan Margiani (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest)

The transnational courses offered within the framework of the GLOBAL INVISIBLE UNIVERSITY in Fall 2026:

  • Decentering Soviet Histories: Regional Perspectives on Everyday Life and Politics in the USSR (GIU: Ukraine). Course co-directors: Iaroslav Kovalchuk (Columbia University) and Arslan Akanov (Nazarbayev University)
  • Borders and Spatial Imaginaries in Ukraine and Beyond (GIU: Ukraine). Course co-directors: Elżbieta Kwiecińska (Polish Academy of Sciences) and Hanna Perekhoda (University of Lausanne)
  • Ukrainian Literature: Literary Canons, War and Social Change (GIU: Ukraine). Course co-directors: Diana Vonnak (Czech Academy of Sciences) and Iryna Shuvalova (poet, independent scholar, Changshu)
  • Transnational Relations of Care: Ukraine and Beyond (GIU: Ukraine). Course co-directors: Oksana Ovsiiuk (University of Fribourg) and Madlen Kobi (University of Fribourg)
  • Justice Across Europe: Trust, Judicial Independence, and Courts in Times of Transition (GIU: Ukraine). Course co-directors: Marta Mochulska (Ivan Franko National University of Lviv) and Marta Spodaryk (Ivan Franko National University of Lviv)
  • Comparative Methods for the Social Sciences (GIU: Ukraine). Course co-directors: Levente Littvay (CEU Democracy Institute, Budapest) and Inna Melnykovska (EUI)
  • Belarus in Question: Rethinking Belarusian Politics, Society, and Culture in Regional and Global Contexts (GIU: Belarus). Course co-directors: Tatiana Shchyttsova (European Humanities University, Vilnius) and Andrei Kazakevich (Institute of Political Studies “Political Sphere”)
  • Introducing the Balkans (GIU: Balkans). Course co-directors: Aleksandar Pavlović (IFDT Belgrade) and Marija Mandić (University of Belgrade)
  • Wars for the Yugoslav Succession and Their Contemporary Legacy in the Balkans and Beyond (GIU: Balkans). Course co-directors: Vladimir Petrović (NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Amsterdam) and Sven Milekić (University of Rijeka)

Brief course descriptions are available at: Global Invisible University Fall 2026 Courses

Mentoring is provided individually and in small groups, helping the students develop their research projects and reflect on the thematic lectures. Mentors are doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars from CEU and other partner institutions. Participation in mentoring sessions is obligatory for students who receive research stipends.

Mentoring and Academic English classes are open to those who take at least one thematic course.

Fall 2026 Semester classes will take place from 28 September to 18 December 2026. The most motivated and successful participants will have an opportunity to participate in a residential Winter School in January at CEU in Budapest (a separate application form will be circulated in November).

Who is eligible and how to apply?

  • Current BA, MA, or PhD students at a Georgian higher education institution
  • Recent graduates of Georgian higher education institutions (graduated within the last four years)

Participation in the program is free of charge.

To apply, fill out the application form via the following link: Application Form | Global Invisible University

If you experience any difficulties with the form, please contact us at iufu@ceu.edu.

Applications should contain a short (up to 1 page) motivation letter including:

  • reasons for applying to IUGeo and expectations from the course(s)
  • a description of the applicant’s thematic interests (e.g., research topic or thesis topic)
  • choice of preferred course(s) an applicant would like to take (up to 3) and indication of interest in Academic English communication/writing classes;

and a short CV with information on

  • previous education, current university, student status and program of study
  • involvement in civil activities/volunteering or related experience
  • estimated level of English language competence.

Motivation letters must be submitted in English. AI-generated motivation letters will be rejected.

RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIPS

Research scholarships (up to 800 Euro per semester) are available on a competitive basis to BA, MA, and doctoral students who wish to implement a special empirical or theoretical project in addition to their IUGeo coursework. The project may build on their academic background, previous work, or current thesis project and should relate to the themes addressed in the courses. Students receiving research funding are required to submit a paper of 10-12 double-spaced pages based on their research at the end of the semester. The best papers will be published on the project website. Research grant recipients are required to participate in mentoring sessions.

Those who wish to apply for a research scholarship should also include a concise project proposal (between 400 and 800 words), containing a title and brief and specific description of the proposed research project and its desired outcome, including references to relevant sources and secondary literature on the topic. The applicant shall indicate the chosen Fall 2026 course within which the research project will be implemented.

Applicants should complete the general application form together with the designated part for the research scholarship.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS: 17 September 2026, 11:59 PM (23:59) CEST

Admitted course participants will be notified by 23 September 2026; awards of the research scholarships will be announced after 9 October 2026.

INVISIBLE GRADUATE SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS

The Invisible Graduate School (IGS) grant of the Global Invisible University program targets doctoral students. Launched in Fall 2024, IGS offers an intellectually supportive environment for research development, seeking to foster individual academic growth and the spirit of cooperation and solidarity.

IGS students participate in research seminars and mentoring sessions. They are expected to work on a research-based academic publication or a research project. IGS offers personalized support while fostering collaborative engagement to strengthen the IUGeo academic community.

The IGS program participants receive support through:

  • scholarships of up to 1200 EUR per semester. Students who already hold international scholarships while studying outside Georgia may also apply for IGS membership without a stipend
  • one-on-one mentoring, small-group thematic consultations, research seminars
  • publication support
  • opportunities to create research teams, organize workshops, etc.

To be eligible for IGS, applicants must:

  • be doctoral students currently enrolled in a Georgian or foreign educational institution. In exceptional cases, advanced MA students with proven experience in conducting independent research and plans to pursue doctoral studies may apply
  • hold Georgian citizenship
  • have successfully completed at least one IUFU course; applicants who have not done so should contact the IUGeo coordination unit at cas@iliauni.edu.ge for a consultation before applying.

To apply, fill out the application form via the following link: Application Form | Global Invisible University

The application package should include:

(1) a short CV, with information on previous education, current university, student status and program of study, involvement in civil activities/volunteering or related experience, and estimated level of English language competence.

(2) a short motivation letter (up to 1 page) including 1) a reason for applying to the Invisible Graduate School; 2) a description of the applicant’s thematic interests (e.g., research topic or thesis topic).

(3) a research project proposal (up to 1,500 words) including:

  • a title and a thematic outline
  • an overview of empirical data or sources
  • the planned timeline and a specified project outcome.

This project can be part of the applicant’s regular PhD project or written specifically for the Invisible Graduate School.

(4) an English writing sample (3,000-10,000 words): a term paper, an essay, or another piece of academic writing.

DEADLINE FOR IGS APPLICATIONS: 9 September 2026, 11:59 PM (23:59) CEST

With questions related to the Georgian Program of Global Invisible University, please contact the IUGeo coordinator: Tamar Tolordava, cas@iliauni.edu.ge 

With questions about the application process, please contact the student coordinators:

For further information, see https://www.ceu.edu/non-degree/Invisible-University