Preparation of the International Summer School Bazaleti 2026 in Georgia

Delegations from the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague and Comenius University in Bratislava visited the partner Agricultural University of Georgia on 24–27 April. The aim of the visit was the preparation, organization, and program development of the International School of Young Natural Scientists Bazaleti 2026. The event represents a concrete outcome of long-term Czech–Slovak–Georgian cooperation in the popularization of natural sciences among secondary school students.

Visit of the Ambassadors
The event received the patronage of both embassies, and ambassadors Petr Kubernát and Matúš Bušovský accepted the invitation of AGRUNI rector Vakhtang Lejava for an official visit to the university. The program included a presentation of the summer school project as well as key university facilities and laboratories, including the Natural Sciences Museum, the Veterinary Clinic, the Culinary Academy, the ampelographic laboratory, and the university wine cellars. This part of the visit was also linked to AGRUNI’s intention, in cooperation with UCT Prague, to establish the first university brewery in Georgia, where students would, similarly to existing wine-related projects, carry out the entire production process as part of their theses – from brewing the beer, through label design, to bottling. The ambassadors expressed full support for the summer school and for broader inter-university cooperation.

Program Preparation and Organization
The main focus of the visit was the preparation of the event itself. Meetings were held with students and lecturers who will participate in the summer school, focusing on the academic and leisure program as well as logistics. This was followed by a visit to the Bazaleti campus, where the arrangements for lectures, workshops, and laboratory activities were specified. As part of the academic program, participants can look forward to activities such as soap making using local herbs, extraction of natural substances, charcoal production in a traditional kiln, synthesis of inorganic pigments, assembly of a simple radio transmitter, and construction of a sundial. The leisure program will include outdoor orientation and map reading, knot tying, field games, a botanical excursion, a swimming course in Lake Bazaleti, night sky observation, and more. The Czechoslovak delegation also met with the Director of the Czech Centre in Tbilisi, Osamu Okamura. The cultural part of the program will include baking Georgian and Czechoslovak bread and gastronomic workshops focused on traditional national dishes.

The entire visit took place in a creative and friendly atmosphere. Preparations for the event are in full swing, and all parties involved are looking forward to meeting the participants of the summer school in June at the Bazaleti base. More information about the event is available on the project website.