Difference Between Political Intent and Action: Implementation of Recent Changes in Doctoral Education in Georgia

Higher Education Policy

Abstract

Abstract This paper examines a specific case of policy formulation and implementation to shed light on the dynamics of higher education policy implementation in Georgia. As in many post-Soviet countries, Georgia’s higher education sector has undergone significant policy shifts; however, academic analyses of the drivers and implementation of these reforms remain fragmented. This paper focuses on the recent Doctoral Education Framework (2024), offering insights into persistent systemic challenges related to policy implementation. The analysis draws on interviews with policymakers and institutional actors responsible for enacting the new doctoral regulations and examines the intended objectives and anticipated outcomes of the 2024 framework. This approach enabled us to examine stakeholder understandings of policy intent, implementation processes, actor mandates, and anticipated behavioural responses. The study relies on primary qualitative data supported by secondary qualitative and quantitative sources. In doing so, it contributes to the developing literature on higher education policy realization, which—despite recent studies—remains historically underdeveloped.

Authors 10

1. Thea Siprashvili

   Tbilisi State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

2. Paul Gibbs corresponding

   Middlesex University London

   Affiliation as printed

   Middlesex University, London, UK

3. Irma Grdzelidze

   Tbilisi State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

4. Rusudan Sanadze

   Tbilisi State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

5. George Sharvashidze

   Tbilisi State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

6. Davit Sikharulidze

   Tbilisi State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

7. Sopio Idadze

   Tbilisi State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

8. Tata Mamrikishvili

   Tbilisi State University

   Affiliation as printed

   Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia

9. Nino Gogadze Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands

10. Marine Gognelashvili

    Tbilisi State University

    Affiliation as printed

    Tbilisi State University, Tbilisi, Georgia