Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University (BSU) was established in 1990 on the basis of Batumi Pedagogical Institute. In 2006, as a result of the reforms carried out by the Government of Georgia, as a result of reorganization and unification of Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, Batumi Institute of Art, Batumi Zakaria Paliashvili State Conservatory, Batumi Institute of Aviation, Batumi Institute of Agrarian Biotechnologies and Business, Scientific-Research Institute of Membrane Technologies and Batumi Agricultural Institute, there developed “Legal Entity of Public Law – Shota Rustaveli State University”. In 2009, the Batumi Botanical Garden joined the University, and in 2010 Niko Berdzenishvili Research Institute and Institute of Phytopathology became part of BSU.
Since its establishment, BSU has been the main educational and scientific center of Ajara.
BSU comprises 7 faculties: Economics and business, humanities, exact sciences and education, law and social sciences, natural sciences and health care, technologies, and tourism. At present over 9,000 students study in vocational, Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral programs at BSU. University offers its students three-level education with over 36 Bachelor programs, over 25 Master programs, and 9 Doctoral programs.
Batumi State University has several academic buildings. Its first historical building includes the administration of the University, lecture halls, cultural center, library, sports, and assembly halls.
The University has close cooperation with Georgian, as well as foreign leading educational institutions. BSU is considered to be a desirable host for international scientific conferences and symposia held in various fields of knowledge. The academic personnel of the University actively participate in scientific conferences and exchange programs held in various countries of the world. Many scientific research projects of international and national significance have been implemented on the basis of the University.
