Under the pedagogical leadership of ComDev’s Hugo Boothby and Anders Hög-Hansen as well as Caucasus Studies’ Karina Vamling and in collaboration with colleagues from Flinders University in Adelaide and Tbilisi State University, the Boundaries and Identities in Contemporary Georgia event brought together more than 40 participants in the Georgian capital.
This joint teaching seminar and policy simulation exercise focused on the history and contemporary socio-political challenges of Georgia and brought together more than 30 students from the three universities. In addition to many regional academic experts staff members from the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM), the Foreign Ministry and local NGOs provided insights into the complexities, conflicts and cooperation that shape Georgia at the moment.
In preparation of the hands-on policy simulation led by Maryanne Kelton and Verity Kingsmill from Flinders University, ComDev student and film-maker Connor Ashleigh prepared teaching material near the Administrative Boundary Line (ABL) between Georgia and South Ossetia which will be included in a short documentary that he is 
currently producing.
A field trip to an IDP settlement in Gori near the ABL provided first-hand experience and discussions with EUMM field staff, the local NGO Civil Forum as well as residents.
Karina Vamling shared some of her reflections in a recent post on the Caucasus Studies portal.
As part of the week-long visit, Rebecka Letteval, Dean of the KS faculty, also renewed the MOU between Malmö University and Tbilisi State University to ensure future collaborations.
