From Tbilisi to Berlin: Joint Master’s Degree in the Making
A DAAD-funded Summer School in Tbilisi has paved the way for a new collaboration between Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU). The GET MA – Global and European Transformations Master in Social Sciences – is planned to include students from TSU starting in winter semester 2026/27. Combining HU’s strengths in democracy research and European integration studies with TSU’s expertise in the Black Sea region and security studies, the interdisciplinary programme will offer students unique academic and professional opportunities through collaboration with international universities and think tanks.
Joint Master’s Degree GET MA Planned for 2026 – Summer School in Georgia Sets the Stage
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) and Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) in Georgia are planning to launch a joint international Master’s programme in the winter semester 2026/27: the GET MA – Global and European Transformations Master in Social Sciences. This interdisciplinary degree will combine perspectives from political science, sociology, international relations, and law, targeting students who seek to understand and shape the political, social, and economic transformation processes in Europe and its neighbouring regions.
Summer School as a platform for exchange and cooperation
The initiative took shape during a week-long Summer School in Tbilisi, funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) with support from the German Federal Foreign Office. The programme featured lectures, workshops, and debates on topics including democratisation, security in the Black Sea region, geopolitical challenges in the South Caucasus, European integration, and social transformations.
Alongside the intensive academic sessions, Prof. Salome Dundua (TSU), Prof. Kornely Kakachia (TSU), Prof. Silvia von Steinsdorff (HU), and Dr. Claudia-Yvette Matthes (HU) held in-depth discussions on expanding the partnership between their institutions. All agreed that the Summer School should be only the beginning of a long-term collaboration. By the end of the week, the foundations for a joint Master’s degree had been laid.
TSU’s expertise in the Black Sea region and security studies
TSU is one of the leading universities in the South Caucasus and is particularly renowned for its expertise in the political and security dynamics of the Black Sea region. Prof. Kakachia, Jean Monnet Chair and Director of the Georgian Institute of Politics, specialises in comparative politics, regional security, NATO/EU relations, and conflict resolution in the Caucasus. He is also co-editor, together with Stefan Meister and Stephan Malerius, of the volume Security Dynamics in the Black Sea Region. Geopolitical Shifts and Regional Orders, underlining his prominent role in shaping scholarly and policy debates on the region. These thematic strengths complement the HU’s expertise in Central and Eastern European studies, democracy research, and European integration.
Interdisciplinary, international, practice-oriented
The planned GET MA programme will combine academic excellence with a practice-oriented approach, including collaboration with international partners such as the Middle East Technical University in Ankara and leading think tanks. Students will gain access to a unique international network and receive training that prepares them for careers in diplomacy, international organisations, policy consulting, NGOs, business, and academia.
With the successful Summer School in Tbilisi, the first step has been taken: both universities are now working to make the joint Master’s degree a reality by 2026.