On November 26, Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation (SRNSF) hosted a meeting with the representatives of the International Science and Technology Center (ISTC). The meeting was attended by the Director General of SRNSF Prof. Marine Chitashvili, Deputy Director General Mrs. Manana (Mako) Mikaberidze, Deputy Head of Department of Grants and Programs Management, Evaluation and Analysis Dr. Nino Gachechiladze, Chief Specialist of Department of Grants and Programs Management, Evaluation and Analysis Mrs. Khatia Ananiashvili and Chief Specialist of International Relations and Fundraising office Mr. Nikoloz Bakradze.

From the ISTC side, the meeting was attended by ISTC Executive Director Mr. David Cleave, Deputy Executive Director Mr. Aydin Turebaev, EU Senior Program Manager Mr. Graeme Frith and Head of ISTC Georgian Branch Office Prof. Irina Khomeriki.

The ISTC strategy for future was discussed at the meeting, focusing on research priorities, co-funding schemes, future challenges and prospective directions of ISTC and SRNSF cooperation.

International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) is an intergovernmental organization. The center was created in 1992 to promote the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Initially, the Agreement was signed between the European Union, the Russian Federation, the United States and Japan, and later was joined by Armenia, Georgia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Norway, Republic of Korea and Tajikistan. Georgia became a member of the ISTC in 1994.

 

ISTC represents one of the important organizations supporting research in Georgia and around 160 projects with a total budget worth $ 32 million have been funded in the framework of the ISTC.

The next ISTC Coordination Committee (CC) and Governing Board (GB) Meeting (during which the Agreement on the Continuation of ISTC is expected to be signed) will be held on December 9, 2015, in Astana.