Competency through Cooperation: Advancing knowledge on Georgias strategic path

In a situation where Russia-West relations have been rapidly deteriorating, Georgia is often perceived as one of the states 'in between' Russia and the West, as a 'contested neighbourhood' between a revanchist Russia and an EU set to expand further eastwards. While Georgia has gravitated toward the West - in 2022, after the Russian attack on Ukraine, Georgia applied for EU membership - the Georgian breakaway republic of Abkhazia is usually portrayed as a Russian pawn, a lever Russia can apply to pressurize Georgia and prevent the country from leaving Moscow's zone of influence. In the GEOPATH project we have sought to problematize this rather black and white picture, studying what kind of room for independent agency Georgia has in manoeuvring between Russia and the EU, as well as that of Abkhazia between Russia and Georgia proper. The project has had two primary objectives: to produce cutting-edge, policy relevant research on Georgia's future strategic path and to further develop research competence inside Georgia. Although Covid-19 has meant that fieldwork and meetings have had to be cancelled, we have with the help of digital solutions succeeded in carrying out most of the planned activity. Based on the extensive collaboration between Norwegian and Georgian researchers on articles, seminars, master classes, and information outreach, the project has contributed to new insights, national competence building and a solid platform for further collaboration.

Outcome: We had set six secondary goals: 1. Publish high-quality research: We set the target to be at least 8 articles. So far, 7 articles have been published, while an eight one is in production. Another three articles are still under. In addition, we will publish a double special issue of Caucasus Survey (no 2 and 3, 2023) with GEOPATH-sponsored articles (5 articles accepted so far, 6 still under review). 2. Further develop and expand an existing Norwegian-Georgian research network: Despite the pandemic, we have been able to expand our network of contacts greatly, in particular among the new generation of emerging Georgian scholars. 3. Develop increased competency in Norway on Georgia and Georgia’s external environment: Norwegian researchers have developed enhanced insight into Georgia’s foreign as well as domestic policies. Beyond academia, we had organized to seminars for a Norwegian public, a brown bag seminar in the Norwegian parliament and facilitated meetings between the MFA and Georgian experts. 4. Contribute to strengthening the academic competency among PhD students/junior researchers in Georgia: We have organized three master classes in academic publishing with 15-20 PhD students per class. 5. Facilitate research recruitment in Georgia through a local PhD grant: A GEOPATH PhD student was selected in an open competition in 2019. He is expected to defend his PhD in mid-March 2023. Communicate the results of policy-relevant research to stakeholders and the wider public in both Georgia and Norway: We have organized public seminars both in Georgia and Norway with the aim to disseminate research results – 4 events in Georgia and 2 in Norway. In addition, we have met with the Norwegian embassy in Georgia and the Norwegian MFA and Parliament, as well as with various Georgian officials. We have also communicated research findings through 11 policy briefs/op eds/blogs as well as via regular media reporting. Impact: We outlined two types: 1. Based on joint research, impact via ‘academic publications and communication with the public.’ We have advanced a research agenda that explores local agency and places Georgia (or, alternatively, Abkhazia) at the centre, rather than as a pawn manipulated by its neighbours. The articles have been published in key area studies journal and some major security studies journals and we already see that they are picked up by our peers. The first GOAPTH article has already been quoted 13 times. 2. Based on the competence building component, ‘increased competency of the independent research sector to conduct high quality and policy relevant research and to engage stakeholders and the wider community in a conversation about findings.’ The project has contributed to positioning GIP as a premier policy research institute in Georgia, invested in competence-building and academic development of its staff, and left a – hopefully – lasting impact through master classes, mentoring of peers, and the funding of a PhD.

GEOPATH will increase academic competency in the Georgian institute sector through research collaboration in the form of an integrated research project. In GEOPATH, senior researchers from Norway and Georgia, as well as Georgian 'ex pat' researchers, will collaborate closely and mentor junior researchers. We also aspire to leave a lasting footprint in Georgia by funding a PhD scholarship and organising annual publishing seminars for PhD students and junior researchers from across Georgia. GEOPATH is organised around a research project that will produce cutting-edge research on the crucial question of Georgia's future strategic path. Georgia is often referred to as one of the states 'in-between' Russia and the EU. In a setting increasingly defined by rapidly deteriorating Russia-Western relations, the project will study how four key actors - Georgia, Abkhazia, the EU and Russia - look upon their own role and relate to each other in this region. Studying the bilateral axes of Georgia-EU, Georgia-Russia, as well as the EU-Russia-Georgia triangle and the role of Abkhazia within the latter, GEOPATH will address two blind spots in the literature. First, it will treat Georgia and Abkhazia not merely as 'proxies' of external powers, but as social political units with agency, as they both interact with and influence the external powers. Second, it will challenge the premise that the 'game' that shapes Georgia's strategic path is a zero-sum game by conceptualising this game as an open, social product. The combination of our Georgian colleagues' intimate knowledge of Georgian politics and NUPI's competency in high-level academic knowledge production will make GEOPATH ideally suited to address these gaps. Working in a small team with frequent exchanges between team members will facilitate genuine research collaboration, ensure a more effective and durable competency-building - and produce better research.