ISET was recently awarded a three year grant from USAID in support of the Agricultural Economics Concentration in ISET's Master's Program in Economics and the establishment of the Agricultural Policy Research Center (APRC) at ISET-PI.

Through this partnership, a Ph.D.-level agricultural economist will be hired to provide leadership for activities undertaken by the APRC and the Agricultural Economics Concentration. Three junior researchers will also join the APRC team to conduct research, provide training, and engage in on-demand policy evaluation and analysis.

The APRC will be tasked with monitoring and analyzing the situation in the agricultural sector and the rural economy in Georgia, particularly with regard to the policy context, major investment decisions, market linkages, development of value chains, smallholder production, and international trade in agricultural products, among other topics. Researchers from the APRC will liaise with the Ministry of Agriculture, international donors, and technical assistance organizations working in the agricultural sector in Georgia. Lastly, the APRC will be publishing views on agricultural and food policy (on the ISET Economist) and delivering trainings.

This partnership will help develop Georgia's capacity in applied agricultural economics, both in education and research in ISET's Master's Program in Economics but also through training and outreach activities conducted by the APRC.