Faculty Development

2019-11-25

On November 13-15 and 20-22, Training: “Modern Methods of Teaching and Assessment, Essential Principles of Student Oriented Teaching and Student Motivation” was held at Tbilisi Medical Academy. The training was intended for for invited and academic lecturers.
During the training trainees were informed about the challenges to current medical education and got acquainted with modern method of teaching, that will be implemented in TMA’s study process.

2019-11-05

Professor Nele Michels, Head of Clinical Skills Center at Antwerp University, visited Tbilisi Medical Academy. During her working visit Prof. Nele Michels held meetings with academic and administrative staff. She visited TMA’s renewed Clinical Skills and Objectively Structured Exam Center and got acquainted with innovations in Medical Education program and Doctoral program “Medical Science”. Additionally, important issues, such as the Erasmus+ cooperation for staff and student mobility between the TMA and Antwerp University were discussed during the visit.

2019-10-25

October 21-25, representatives of Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy attended the training of AMEE (The Association for Medical Education in Europe) “ESMEA – Essential Skills in Medical Education Assessment”. The training was conducted by President of AMEE, WFME (World Federation for Medical Education consultant in field of Medical Education), Professor, Trevor Gibbs.

2019-09-20

On 17-20 September, TMA academic staff conducted training: “TMA new staff adaptation and provision of continuing professional development”. Training participants were new lecturers, who will be teaching in 2019/2020 academic year. 

Training aims and objectives were as follows: 
 

• Raising awareness Strategic Priorities of Academy and getting acquainted with study process regulations;
• Getting acquainted with the existing innovations in medical education methodology;
• Coordinating mutual cooperation between disciplines and departments.

Every meeting of the training was aimed not only at informing and adapting of new staff, but also assisted them in analyzing and implementation of the exiting new methodologies of medical education in the study process. 
 

2019-05-17

Natalie Khotchlashvili, coordinator of Erasmus+ programs at Tbilisi Medical Academy, on May 6-10 in Spain, took a part in an international training on personal development „– Ahora – Share your skills“. AtDuring the training, participants discussed a number of issues, and also shared their experience in the field of student and staff mobility, as well as of cooperation and development of institutions. The training also made a significant contribution to the establishment of partnership between TMA and European Universities.

2019-03-12

On 12-14 March head of clinical skill center in Antwerp University, Professor Nele Michels visited TMA and conducted curriculum development meetings and trainings about assessment methodology in medical education.

2026-08-01

TMA Faculty Development Department organized a working meeting with academic and invited faculty members.

The purpose of the meeting was to reflect on and share experiences gained during the first year of implementing the lecture-free curriculum and to discuss its achievements, challenges, and future opportunities.

During the meeting, faculty members had the opportunity to openly reflect on their own experiences, share successful practices, discuss existing challenges, and collaboratively explore ways to further improve the program. The exchange of experiences among colleagues facilitated the sharing of new ideas, effective teaching strategies, and practical solutions.

During the meeting, the Quality Assurance Office presented an analysis of the lecture-free curriculum based on student feedback and the results of focus groups conducted with course leaders.

The reflective meeting was attended by the head of programmes and the Dean, who actively participated in the discussions, listened to the experiences and perspectives of the academic staff, and provided valuable feedback.

The program directors emphasized that such meetings and reflective practice are essential for strengthening collaboration among faculty members, successfully implementing educational innovations, and continuously improving the quality of teaching.

2026-07-14

Tbilisi Medical Academy hosted The Research Day, an academic event dedicated to showcasing the institution's ongoing research activities, recent scientific achievements, and the outcomes of international collaborative projects.

The event aimed to promote research excellence, strengthen academic collaboration, and foster a vibrant research culture within the Academy. It provided academic staff with an opportunity to learn about one another's current research projects, exchange ideas, discuss future collaborations, and explore opportunities for developing joint research initiatives.

The Research Day program featured presentations on the following topics:

• The application of artificial intelligence in laboratory diagnostics
• Liposomal encapsulation and delivery of bacteriophages
• Cancer biomarker research
• Artificial intelligence-supported teaching in preclinical medical education
• Current Erasmus+ projects at Tbilisi Medical Academy

Through its research projects TMA encourages knowledge exchange, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the continued advancement of its scientific and research capacity.

2026-07-14

We are delighted to announce that another cohort of TMA staff members has successfully completed the Essential Skills in Medical Education (ESME) certification program, offered by the International Association for Health Professions Education (AMEE).

After successfully completing four AMEE training courses, the following TMA representatives were awarded the internationally recognized Medical Educator status:

• Ia Avaliani - Vice Rector In International Affairs
• Kakha Bregvadze - Co-Head of the One-Step Educational Programme
• Bidzina Chachkhiani - Deputy Head of the Quality Assurance Office
• Ana Mamiseishvili -Coordinator of the Rector's Current Affairs
• Ina Leshkasheli - Study Process Management Coordinator

Tbilisi Medical Academy remains committed to supporting the continuous professional development of its academic and administrative staff in the field of medical education. The ESME (Essential Skills in Medical Education) programme, developed by AMEE, represents an important milestone in strengthening educational expertise and promoting excellence in teaching.

Participation in this internationally recognized programme also plays a significant role in advancing TMA's integration into the European Higher Education Area by aligning educational practices with internationally accepted standards.

The training courses were organized by the Georgian Regional Office of AMEE.

2026-05-05

Within the framework of this initiative, Associate Professor Maka Zarnadze, Head of the Faculty Development Department, and Dea Goderdzishvili, Medical Education and Research Specialist, represented Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) in the peer group and collaborated with European universities. 

The report summarizes the results of intensive cooperation carried out by TMA over the course of one year. In particular, it highlights best practices in the teaching and learning model that TMA implements for staff development. The report aims to bring together universities from across Europe, create a platform for sharing experiences, and foster the development of joint visions to enhance the quality of education.

This cooperation is particularly valuable as it generates mutual benefits. On the one hand, the Academy actively participates in the European University Association's activities and shares its experience. On the other hand, it adopts the best international practices and further strengthens its integration into the European Higher Education Area.

The recommendations and practical framework developed as a result of this year-long collaboration contribute to strengthening transnational cooperation and supporting the effective implementation of staff professional development across European higher education institutions.

The thematic peer group includes the University of Huelva (Spain), the University of Côte d’Azur (France), the University of Warwick (United Kingdom), among others. The group was led by Linköping University (Sweden). The coordinator of the working group is Jonas Leschke, Head of Unit for Strategic Teaching Projects, Ruhr University Bochum (Germany).

2026-04-01

Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) hosted a working visit by the Heads of the Curriculum Innovations in Medical Education Department (CIMED), Professors Joke Denekens and Herman Van Rossum (Antwerp, Belgium).

During the visit, the Belgian experts met with TMA’s administrative, academic, and invited personnel. Together, they reviewed key challenges in both basic and clinical courses education and discussed practical solutions. The experts emphasized the need to strengthen curriculum integration. They recommended improving horizontal integration by incorporating psychosocial and behavioral sciences into clinical reasoning sessions. They also highlighted the importance of vertical integration to ensure the continuous development of professional competencies from basic sciences through clinical training. In addition, participants discussed ways to improve the quality and effectiveness of clinical rotation overall.

The experts met with semester coordinators and shared international best practices for efficient academic process coordination.

They also attended clinical training seminars and provided professional feedback to clinicians.

In addition, Professors Denekens and Van Rossum delivered a training session for clinicians titled “Learning, Teaching and Assessment in Clinical Courses.” They also attended a workshop on Workplace-Based Assessment (WPBA) led by the program’s Clinical Co-Director, Kakha Bregvadze.

The sessions were held in an interactive format, encouraging active participation from clinicians. This approach enabled in-depth discussion of key challenges in clinical education and supported the exchange of effective teaching and assessment strategies.

2026-03-04

https://youtu.be/8nIm6THNy1U?si=dTwKnF6_hS-JCBFu

Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) is proud to serve as a partner and host of the official Kick-Off Meeting (KoM) of the Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange Project VITAL – Virtual Innovation and Training for Advancing Faculty Leaders, Digital Competencies, and Research Excellence.

VITAL aims to strengthen the professional development of early-career faculty in Georgia and Ukraine by focusing on 4 main objectives:

• Supporting career development through soft skills and academic leadership training;
• Improving digital competencies through innovative and AI-supported teaching methods;
• Strengthening research capacity through peer mentorship, methodology workshops, and co-authorship opportunities;
• Promoting European values through inclusive leadership and improved institutional policies.

The four-day meeting, held at TMA marked the official launch of this three-year project, lays the foundation for a coordinated start of the project, and supports its successful implementation.

VITAL is implemented by an international consortium bringing together partner universities from Spain (University of Santiago de Compostela), Italy (INFOR Elea Smart Business Academy), Ukraine (Institute of Food Biotechnology and Genomics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine - IFBG, Ternopil National Medical University, Ukraine - TNMU), and Georgia (Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy - TMA, Business and Technology University - BTU).

Within the project, TMA participates as a partner organization, and its implementation and coordination on behalf of the Academy are facilitated by the Faculty Development Department and the Research and PhD Department, ensuring strong institutional engagement.

2026-02-23

Within frames of Erasmus+ Staff Mobility Programme, TMA hosted the Head of the Centre for Medical Education of Lodz Medical University (Poland), Prof. Janusz Janczukowicz alongside his colleagues, in order to share their expertise and knowledge with the students and staff of TMA.

Throughout the visit, the guests presented impressive insights in defining and teaching Medical Professionalism, innovative methods in immunology and trauma informed care/education. Alongside interactive lectures, workshops were implemented around the topics of leadership and doctor-patient communication. The visit also included productive meetings with the administrative and academic staff of TMA, where best practices and current experiences were shared around planning and implementing medical professionalism in the curricula. The parties also discussed potential areas of prospective cooperation and established grounds for joint activities.

Alongside these topics, part of the visit was directed to the one-health approach and topics of planetary health. 

It was an honor and pleasure to host the colleagues from Poland and TMA looks forward to further cooperation opportunities that will involve joint scientific, research and transdisciplinary activities.

2026-02-16

The annual forum of the European University Association (EUA) was hosted this year by Lisbon, Portugal. The main theme of the forum was to enhance the quality of teaching and learning in European universities through staff development.

Within the framework of the meeting, Tbilisi Medical Academy was represented by Associate Professor Maka Zarnadze, Head of the Faculty Development Department, and Ana Mamiseishvili, Coordinator of the Rector’s Current Affairs. Together with European partner universities, the Academy’s representatives presented to the forum participants the results of a one-year work of the European University Association’s thematic working group. In particular, they facilitated a workshop dedicated to transnational cooperation in the field of staff development.