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International Black Sea University (“IBSU”) and Univesity of International Business and Economics (“UIBE”) signed Cooperation Agreement concerning the establishment of the Sino-Georgian Competence Center (“SGCC”). Partner universities jointly constitute the SGCC platform with a mission to develop research projects and support the development of the academic relationships, including joint conferences and diverse projects, between Georgia and China. Furthermore, SGCC activities around the agreed themes aim to strengthen research, education, public eye and business and policy support. Center will start planning and working on the initial research projects, such as: The China-Georgia FTA (Free-Trade Agreement), Innovation, Green Economy and Sustainability, Finance, Investment trends and etc. Besides, in terms of education, SGCC plans to develop executive education and university courses, such as “Doing Business in China for Georgian Firms”, “Doing Business in Georgia for Chinese firms” and “Sino-Georgian FTA”.This is very important day for IBSU and Georgia. We have established Sino-Georgia Competence Center in the framework of Belt and Road world forum held in Beijing with University of International Business and Economics. This initiation is supported by the Chinese Ministry of Education.

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Over 800 athletes are competing for honours in the European Kung Fu Championships hosted for the first time in Georgia, with the official opening of the tournament already held on Tuesday.

Organised by the Georgian National Wushu Federation, the competition involves various disciplines of kung fu, a Chinese martial art sport developed after World War II.

Competitors had been involved in matches held in the Wingchun discipline before the formal opening of the championships yesterday.

Starting today, they will showcase their skills in kung fu, considered the traditional branch of the sport known as wushu.

Representing 28 nations, the athletes will face each other at the Tbilisi Olympic Palace, the venue for the European competition.

Marking Georgia’s first ever hosting of the tournament, the Embassy of China presented the National Wushu Federation with “highly valued” carpets used for matches, said the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of Georgia.

The championships are held in the framework of Check in Georgia – a government program of sporting competitions, cultural and tourist events across the country throughout the year.

The program for sporting events of the project was announced earlier this year and includes a dozen competitions and matches through late September.

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On the first day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Tbilisi, set in Georgia’s capital city, we take a close look at the country’s chokha, a centuries-old piece of traditional clothing that is having a fashion moment.

What is a chokha?
The chokha is a wool coat, typically worn by men, with cartridge holders on the chest. They were once basic folds, later made to hold bullets and gunpowder; now, they are simply ornamental.

What is its history?
The piece originally hails from Persia and came to Georgia around the 9th century. The chokha is also worn elsewhere in the Caucasus region, like Chechnya. Depending on the part of Georgia, the garment differs in appearance, whether that means the length or how the holders are used. Though it was rarely worn during the Soviet Union era, many Georgians brought it back as a source of national pride after they claimed independence in the early ’90s. It has become popular to sport the garment at religious ceremonies like weddings and funerals and at political events.

Why is it having a fashion moment?
Recently, the chokha made an international impact thanks to Georgia-born designer David Koma, who visited Tbilisi last season. For London’s Fall 2017 collections, Koma went back to his roots with a thigh-skimming homage, asymmetrically placing cartridges on his signature body-hugging dresses.

Before that, the traditional piece had been making cameos in the collections of local designers, such as Nicolas Grigorian, Datuna Sulikashvili, and Simon Machabeli. “Unfortunately, during the Soviet era, the skills for making a chokhawere a bit lost. But now it’s coming back,” writes Machabeli. “It is established as a Georgian folk costume and modern interpretations of it can be very interesting.”

Where can you see it right now?
On the first day of Tbilisi’s Fall 2017 season, two designers have already referenced the chokha. Anuka Keburia put cartridge holders on sandals and reworked its silhouette in coats; Liya also used the same shape, focusing on flared sleeves.

Fun fact?
In 1989, Rei Kawakubo, a fan of the Georgian artist Niko Pirosmani, went to Soviet-era Georgia with British photographer Brian Griffin to photograph villagers in Comme des Garçons designs. There, Griffin shot locals in a mix of national dress and CDG, and one famously featured a chokha with a pair of slouchy orange pants. The 12 photographs resurfaced last year when Project ArtBeat held an exhibition in Tbilisi.

Where can you buy it?
The Tbilisi store Samoseli Pirveli is known for re-creating traditional Georgian dress and selling different versions of the piece. If you’re looking to make a more casual statement, you can purchase the chic tourist tee, which is typically a simple shirt boasting chest cartridges.

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Mamuka Gorgodze, the best Georgian rugby player of all times and the captain, is leaving the National Team. He considered making this difficult decision after 2015 RWC and only made it official today.

‘I began to think about it when the World Cup ended in 2015, but I was asked to stay a little longer and I agreed. However, I have been thinking about it for the last year and a half. Now it’s final. I’ve said many times that I want my fans and supporters to remember me as a good player. So I feel it is time for me to go’, – Gorgodze said, ‘I am already 33 years old and by 2019 I will be more than 35. I feel that as the years go by, my energy is decreasing. They told me I could only participate in very important games but this is totally unacceptable for me. The captain must be together with his team at all times, otherwise, you are not a good captain. I still have a strong desire to play, but I feel that I cannot take the physical pressures I used to take before. I would make my choice only in favor of the National Team, but this is impossible. If I don’t play regularly, I won’t be able to play for the National Team either. I know my departure will be painful, but nobody is irreplaceable’.

‘I have decided to make it all public 2 years before the next World Cup so that the coaches don’t have any problems during the preparation process. It is a very difficult decision for me, but I think it is better to go in due time and make sure that the supporters remember you well.’

Gorgodze’s first game with the Lelos was on February 22, 2003, against Spain and from then on he has become the leader of the team.

‘I will never forget all the games I played at the packed Boris Paichadze stadium in Tbilisi and most of all, the last game against Russia. 93 thousand people attended the final game of French Cup in Camp Nous stadium in Barcelona, but the atmosphere was nothing close to that in Paichadze.’

He has participated in three World Cups – 2007, 2011, 2015 and was named the player of the match four times (against England and New Zealand in 2015). During the last world cup, Georgia managed to defeat Tonga and Namibia and took the third place in their group, only losing to All Blacks and Argentina. The result means that the Lelos will participate in the 2019 World Cup without having to pass the qualification requirements.

Gorgodze began to play rugby in 2000 when he was 16 years old and in 2004 he became the champion of Georgia. From 2005 to 2014 he played for the French side Montpellier and in 2010/2013 was named the best international player of Top-14.In 2014 he moved to Toulon and last year he scored a try against Racing, in the final game of the championship, in front of 93 000 people. However, his team lost the game.

He has played 69 games with the Lelos and has scored 26 tries. 6-time best Georgian rugby player, he was also named the Georgian Athlete of the Year in 2011.

The last game he played with the Lelos was against Romania, which Georgia lost 7:8 and Mamuka says he does not want to leave the team defeated.

‘If we had won that game, I would not think of another one. I don’t want anything like a farewell game, because many great Georgian players have left silently, without making a fuss. So, I will play another, the last game with Georgia’.

Gorgodze says he wants to thank Georgian people for their unconditional support and love.

‘The members of the Georgian National Team and the supporters were growing up together. As we were going forward, the number of people was increasing on the stadiums and what is more important, people were becoming more and more aware of rugby rules. I can say that our supporters are real professionals and I want to thank them for their unconditional support we have always felt. There are many countries where rugby is big, but very little of them can boast with such great supporters’, – he claims.
‘During these 14 years, out team has made a great leap forward. We could not even dream of becoming this good. My dream is to see Georgian National Team play in 6 nations, as well as make it to the World Cup playoffs. I believe that the next generation of players will manage to do that’, – Gorgodze concluded.

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The Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia has devised recommendations aimed at implementing principles of healthy eating in educational centers. According to the recommendations, junk food such as chips, snacks, jelly bones, candies, chocolate and fizzy drinks (except carbonated water) will not be sold in the school cafeterias.

As the ministry reports, they are starting improving and regulating the situation in school cafeterias.

“This problem has been unsolved for years. Junk food has been available to the pupils, that as the specialists say, has a negative effect on the kids’ health. The Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia devised recommendations in order to implement health nutrition at schools. Organic and healthy food would help pupils to concentrate on the lesson as well as learn the materials easily. The recommendation was approved by the Ministry of Health as well”, – The statement of Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia reads.

As reported, within the framework of the initiative, the ministry will launch active campaigns involving students.

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Famous Georgian primitivist painter Nikoloz Pirosmanishvili ( Niko Pirosmani or simply Nikala) (1862-1918)was born in the Georgian village of Mirzaani to a peasant family in kakheti (region in eastern Georgia) province. He did not receive special education, Nikala was self-taught painter.

Drawings, which cost millions of dollars today, were painted by an artist living in unbearable conditions. At the age of eight, after the death of Niko’s parents, he and his sisters moved in Tbilisi. They worked as servants in wealthy families and he learned to read and write Georgian and Russian. In 1876, after his elder sister’s death, they returned to Mirzaani and he worked as a herdsman. A few times later Nikala moved in Tbilisi to study. But, unfortunately, instead of learning he was forced to work. He started working on railway station. Despite the difficulties, Pirosmani continued painting. He was drawing everywhere, even at work. Because of that he was even dismissed from work. Nikala was so keened on with drawing that could not notice how his chief had come into the room. He watched a little while he was drawing and after that chief threw a picture and fired him.  But then Niko was returned back after a great beg of his friends. During his lifetime Pirosmani drew hundreds of pictures such as: “Shota Rustaveli”, “Giorgi Saakadze”, “Queen Tamar”, “Fisherman”, “Cock and Creeping”, “Giraffe”. Niko was attracted by historical themes and figures, in addition with ordinary Georgian people and their everyday lives. He was the only Georgian animalist and also fond of nature and rural life.

One of his famous paintings is “Actress Margarita”. She was a French singer and dancer. Margarita had a unique and fascinating voice. Nikala fell in love with her at first sight, when he saw a poster with Frenchwoman. ”She is not a woman, bus a pearl of precious casket!”- Niko exclaimed. According to the legend niko sold everything that he had and with this money he bought thousands of flowers for Margarita. But Frenchwoman didn’t appreciate his love and left him. „The pigeons have fled, my dream is gone, and I stayed homeless” said Niko. From here the artist’s poor life began.

Pirosmani painted walls in barrelhaouses, portraits, pictures with ordering and with this afford himself. He was often sick. Niko lived in the basement under the stairs.   He was tired of sickness, hunger and impatience. In the spring of 1918, Nikala’s health has worsened and after a few days in hospital Niko pirosmani died.

The first ones who appreciated the Pirosmani talent were brothers Zdenevichs. After that, Ilia Zdanevich wrote a letter about Niko to the newspaper “Zakavkazskaia Rech”, which published in 1913.  In the same year, an article about niko pirosmanishvili and his art was published in Georgian newspaper “Temi”. But eventually his life ended with his work little recognized.

Nowadays Pirosmani is very popular artist. His name is known all over the world. Nikala was great artist and he created adorable masterpieces.

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