Faculty Development

2026-01-23

VITAL – Virtual Innovation and Training for Advancing Faculty Leaders, Digital Competencies, and Research Excellence is an international strategic capacity-building initiative funded by a grant from the Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange programme.

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.

The project is coordinated by the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), Spain. 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).

The project aims to mentor and empower early-career and junior faculty members at higher education institutions in Georgia and Ukraine in the following areas:

• Academic leadership
• Digital pedagogy
• Research competencies

2025-12-26

The heads of the Center for Innovation in Medical Education (CIMED), Professor Josette Denekens and Professor Herman van Rossum, visited Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA).

As part of the visit, working meetings were held with the heads of TMA’s educational programs, the Dean of the School of Medicine, representatives of the Quality Assurance Service, and the Clinical Reasoning Line Implementation Team. During these meetings, the results of educational innovations implemented at the Academy were discussed, feedback from faculty and students was reviewed, and their impact on the quality of the educational process was evaluated.

Together with the Quality Assurance Office, CIMED representatives also discussed mechanisms for the implementation and monitoring of educational innovations.

During the visit, the guests attended a clinical reasoning session, after which the lecturer received constructive feedback aimed at improving teaching methodology and student engagement.

In addition, a workshop was held for academic and visiting lecturers on the topic:
“PSII Curriculum: Patient-Centered, Student-Centered, Inquiry-Based, Integrated Curriculum – The Way to Teach Tomorrow’s Doctors, Doctors Fit for Purpose.”

The workshop highlighted the importance of a student- and patient-centered, integrated curriculum, the development of clinical reasoning skills, and the role of reflection in contemporary medical education.

2025-12-09

The final conference of the PROFFORMANCE+ project was hosted in Budapest. The event, titled “Stakeholder Meeting – Enhancing the Quality of Teaching and Learning,” brought together 90 representatives from 14 countries.

Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) was represented at the event by Bidzina Chachkhiani, Deputy Head of the Quality Assurance Office and the institutional ambassador (PIA) of PROFFORMANCE+.

The main focus of the conference was the practical application of the PROFFORMANCE+ assessment tool, short training courses, and the database designed to support teaching enhancement.

The event was held with the support of Erasmus+ and the Tempus Public Foundation.

2025-11-19

The next meeting of the European University Association (EUA) Thematic Working Group was hosted by Linköping University (Sweden). On behalf of the Faculty Development Department of Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA), the meeting was attended by the Head of the Department, Associate Professor Dr. Maka Zarnadze, and the Medical Education and Research Specialist Dr. Dea Goderdzishvili.

The meeting aimed to develop and finalize a framework for staff development and to strengthen transnational cooperation. Another key objective was to prepare a workshop for the European University Association Learning and Teaching Forum, scheduled for February 2026.

Since spring 2025, the Faculty Development Department of TMA has been actively participating in the activities of the EUA Thematic Working Group, which focuses on promoting staff development and enhancing transnational collaboration.

The group brings together representatives of leading European universities: Linkoping University (Sweden), Ruhr University Bochum (Germany), Université Côte d’Azur (France), Universidad de Huelva (Spain), University of Warwick (UK), AAB College (Kosovo), “Aleksandër Moisiu” University – UAMD (Albania), National Polytechnic University of Armenia, (Armenia), and other countries. TMA was included in the working group based on a successful application and is actively engaged in the ongoing processes aimed at sharing best practices and institutional models in staff development.

2025-10-20

Since spring 2025, the Faculty Development Department of Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) has been actively participating in the activities of the European University Association (EUA) thematic working group, which focuses on facilitating staff development and strengthening transnational cooperation.

This group brings together representatives from leading European universities in countries such as France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Austria, Kosovo, and others. TMA joined the group following a successful application and has been actively involved in the working process, which aims to share best practices and institutional models for staff development.

The second meeting of the thematic working group, held online in September 2025, focused on discussing institutional experiences in staff development at universities and enhancing international collaboration. The meeting was attended by representatives of various European universities who shared successful practices and approaches in the professional development of academic and administrative staff.

Representing the Faculty Development Department of TMA, the Head of the Department, Associate Professor Maka Zarnadze, and Medical Education and Research Specialist Dea Goderdzishvili participated in the meeting.

During the session, on behalf of TMA Dea Goderdzishvili delivered a presentation highlighting the Academy’s goals, ongoing initiatives, best practices, and current challenges—including needs-based approaches to improving staff professional competencies.

The Faculty Development Department also shared its future plans aimed at enhancing the quality of teaching and learning and expanding international cooperation.

Participation in the EUA thematic working group provides TMA with a valuable opportunity to gain insights into staff development strategies across European universities, share its own practices, and contribute to shaping EUA policy. These efforts are aligned with the goals of the Bologna Process to improve the quality of teaching and learning through effective staff development.

The outcomes of the thematic working group will be presented at the EUA’s annual European Forum.

2025-10-15

A workshop on the topic: “Workplace Assessment (WPBA – Mini-CEX and CbD)” was organized by the Faculty Development Department and the Programs Department of the Tbilisi Medical Academy.

The goal of the workshop was to familiarize and master the modern workplace assessment methods WPBA – Mini-CEX and CbD for lecturers conducting clinical training courses.

The co-head of the program, Kakha Bregvadze, introduced the participants to the concept of workplace-based assessment, its importance in the clinical training process, international experience and the plan for introducing these methods at the academy.

A special part of the workshop was devoted to the Mini-CEX simulation scenario, within the framework of which the participants had the opportunity to observe the student-patient communication, as well as the process of collecting anamnesis, and then provide constructive feedback to the students.

In the discussion format, participants also discussed the principles of empathy mapping and providing effective feedback.

2025-10-03

The heads of the one-step educational programs of Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA), Tsisana Lomashvili and Kakha Bregvadze, successfully completed the international online course on Entrustable Professional Activities - EPAs: “Ins and Outs of Entrustable Professional Activities”. The course was organized by the Association of Medical Schools in Europe (AMSE) and was taught by such authoritative figures in medical education as Ole ten Cate, Harm Peters and others. It is worth noting that before participating in the course, it was necessary to pass an application competition, as a result of which a total of 20 participants from around the world were selected.

Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) are a set of professional activities that can be independently entrusted to a student (undergraduate) or resident (postgraduate) after he/she demonstrates the appropriate competencies during the implementation of these activities. EPA is currently being actively implemented in many countries around the world.

The EPA course was very intensive. The heads of the TMA Medicine program participated in small group activities and discussions.

Based on the experience gained within the EPA course, the implementation of EPA in TMA’s Medical program was planned, which is currently underway.

2025-09-16

A workshop was organized by the Faculty Development Department of Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) for academic and visiting lecturers.

The goal of the workshop was to present the concept of a lecture-free program and introduce active learning methods.

The head of the Programs Department and representatives of the Faculty Development Department introduced the lecture-free program concept. This is an innovative approach based on evidence and aims to shift the focus to active learning during seminars. This approach helps students apply theoretical material in practice, furthermore, it helps them analyze how to learn. This, in turn, is the basis for lifelong learning.

The workshop participants also engaged in the simulation of various active learning methods, including: Snowball method and Jigsaw method. Such a simulated environment allowed the participants to experience different active learning approaches on their own while at the same time having a healthy, evidence-based discussion about the concept of a lecture-free program, it’s positive aspects, challenges, and future activities.

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.