The year of 2017 turned out to be a very fruitful one for ISET and the ISET Policy Institute. On January 17, Eric Livny, the President of ISET and the ISET Policy Institute, and Dimitri Kumsisvhili, the First Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Georgia, signed an official memorandum of understanding between ISET Policy Institute and the Ministry of Finance. This constitutes the first step of future cooperation between the two organizations in the fields of economic research, student exchange, and training opportunities for the Ministry.

According to the memorandum, the Ministry of Finance will participate in the Policy Expert Committee of ISET, which meets twice a year. The parties will organize meetings to discuss the priorities of the ministry, potential ad hoc projects, research opportunities, identify training opportunities for the ministry, and evaluate the results generated through the cooperation.

The Ministry of Finance will provide all necessary information for the timely implementation of the projects conducted by the ISET Policy Institute. The Ministry of Finance will also offer internships and job opportunities to outstanding students and graduates of ISET’s two-year MA program in Economics.

For its part, the ISET Policy Institute will provide ideas for joint projects, research and trainings to help the Ministry advance its capacity in different areas. Joint discussions, training programs and presentations will be held at ISET to provide the Ministry with diverse and evidence-based assessments of different issues.

This memorandum of understanding is very useful for both parties involved, as they can provide unique and valuable expertise and contribute to one another’s efforts to advance their activities.