ISET was established in 2006 at Tbilisi State University through a collaborative effort involving the World Bank, BP, the Open Society Institute, and the governments of Georgia, Germany, Sweden, and Norway. The initiative aimed to bring world-class economics education to Georgia and the South Caucasus region.The CERGE-EI Foundation has been a major funder of ISET since 2008 through the Teaching Fellows Program.

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Unique Academic Excellence in the South Caucasus

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ISET provides top-tier economics education in the South Caucasus through a growing portfolio of internationally oriented degree programs.

Master's Program in Economics: ISET offers a two-year Master's Program in Economics, taught in English by international faculty. The program is internationally accredited and has a strong track record of graduates securing positions in economic policy agencies across Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, as well as placements in prestigious Ph.D. programs worldwide.

Bachelor's Program in Economics: Launched in 2017, the Bachelor's Program in Economics has quickly gained recognition, ranking as the top economics program in Georgia based on national assessment scores.

Master's Program in Finance: Introduced in 2022, this program has received affiliation from the CFA Institute, making it the only academic program in Georgia to achieve this distinction.

 

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Independent Policy Research

 

Established in 2011, ISET-PI serves as a university-based think tank complementing ISET's educational mission. It provides independent policy research, analysis, and training, engaging with academic, policy, and business communities in the South Caucasus. ISET-PI is a member of the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) network.