The University of Georgia has established a new international research center – the V-Dem Caucasus Regional Center, which serves as a regional representative of one of the world’s most authoritative research institutes. The center operates within the framework of a memorandum signed between the University of Georgia and the University of Gothenburg, and has already actively launched its first regional research projects since February 2026.
The V-Dem Caucasus Regional Center is the official regional hub in the Caucasus for the V-Dem Institute. The institute is based at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) and is globally recognized for its research on societal processes and development. This year, the Caucasus region joined the institute’s global network of regional centers, making the University of Georgia an important part of the international research ecosystem.
The center’s main mission is to study societal processes in the South Caucasus—specifically in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Its research includes the analysis of institutional changes, public attitudes, and the role of digital communication. The studies are based on V-Dem’s global datasets and are complemented by local empirical research, ensuring a deep, evidence-based understanding of regional dynamics.
The establishment of the center significantly strengthens the University of Georgia’s position as a regional research hub and creates new opportunities for active integration into international academic networks. Students of the university also directly benefit from this process, as they are given the opportunity to participate in high-level international research, gain practical experience by working on real projects, and develop as future researchers and professionals.
