Protesters on Rustaveli welcomed the cancellation of the university merger

The authorities announced a large-scale education reform for the fall of 2025. Among the announced initiatives are a reduction in the length of study (undergraduate programs to three years, master's programs to one year, school education to 11 grades instead of 12), the implementation of the "one city - one university" principle, which implies eliminating the duplication of departments in public universities, and a strengthening of the state's role in shaping the educational landscape, according to the "Georgia News" agency. Critics view these steps as a departure from the model adopted in the European educational space. The government, for its part, asserts that the reform is aimed at increasing the efficiency of universities, improving the quality of education, and adapting it to the needs of the labor market, which should ultimately reduce the outflow of young people from the country. On February 3, 2026, the Georgian Parliament passed the first reading of amendments to the Law on Higher Education and a package of amendments restricting foreign funding. The adoption of the amendments occurred amid public and student protests. Supporters of Georgia's European integration, who gathered this evening at the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue, are pleased that the government abandoned plans to merge Georgia's largest universities amid the protests. Among the posters carried by the protesters was "The merger failed, education won, to the end!", according to a Facebook post by photographer Mo Se*.

The protesters, who brought national and EU flags, also carried a poster: "Prisons are overcrowded, the country is being devastated." An activist was also present with a poster reading, "The one and only Kakhi, legendary and intimate, therefore legitimate," likely dedicated to Kakha Kaladze, the mayor of Tbilisi and secretary general of the Georgian Dream party.

Today marks the 439th day of continuous protests on Rustaveli Avenue, Publika reports. Publika photographer Mindia Gabadze reported on his social media page that as he was leaving the protest site with his colleague, journalist Mariam Nikuradze, they were approached by a man who cursed them and made threatening gestures. When the journalists turned on their cameras, he quickly covered his face with his hand and fled. The meeting, judging by the recording, took place right outside the parliament building.

Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Security forces violently dispersed the protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. Over 1,000 people were subjected to administrative prosecution during the protests. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report, "Key Points to the Persecution of Protest Participants in Georgia."