Representatives of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University Participated in an International Training within the Framework of the Erasmus+ Project

From 11 to 15 May 2026, Matej Bel University in Slovakia hosted a training course entitled “Community Engagement and Teaching Community Engagement in Higher Education”, organized within the framework of the Erasmus+ KA2 Capacity Building Project “Enhancing Community Engagement Capacities in Georgia and Sierra Leone.”

The training aimed to prepare future trainers who will be responsible for planning and implementing awareness-raising activities on community engagement at their home universities.

The sessions were conducted in a practical and collaborative format. Participants worked together on developing training structures and content, while also exploring contemporary approaches to teaching and promoting community engagement.

As part of the programme, participants visited the penitentiary institution in Banská Bystrica, where they learned about student involvement in supporting inmates. Particular attention was given to the work carried out by Social Work students. Participants also visited a day care center for older adults, where they learned about the center’s operations, the needs of its beneficiaries, and its experience of cooperation with Matej Bel University.

Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University was represented at the training by Vice-Rector, Professor Dimitri Gegenava, Head of the Anti-Discrimination Law Center and Associate Professor Tsisia Okropiridze, and International Relations Manager Shorena Parunashvili.

The project aims to raise awareness of the importance of community engagement and strengthen the role of universities in social development. The two-year initiative brings together partner universities from Georgia, Sierra Leone, Croatia, and Slovakia, creating opportunities for experience sharing and enhanced international cooperation.