Difference between political intent and action: implementation of recent changes in doctoral education in Georgia
Article
Siprashvili, T., Gibbs, P., Grdzelidze, I., Sanadze, R., Sharvashidze, G., Sikharulidze, D., Idadze, S., Mamrikishvili, T., Gogadze, N. and Gognelashvili, M. 2026. Difference between political intent and action: implementation of recent changes in doctoral education in Georgia. Higher Education Policy. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-026-00445-3
| Type | Article |
|---|---|
| Title | Difference between political intent and action: implementation of recent changes in doctoral education in Georgia |
| Authors | Siprashvili, T., Gibbs, P., Grdzelidze, I., Sanadze, R., Sharvashidze, G., Sikharulidze, D., Idadze, S., Mamrikishvili, T., Gogadze, N. and Gognelashvili, M. |
| Abstract | This paper examines a specific case of policy formulation and implementation to shed light on the dynamics of higher education policy implementation in Georgia. As in many post-Soviet countries, Georgia’s higher education sector has undergone significant policy shifts; however, academic analyses of the drivers and implementation of these reforms remain fragmented. This paper focuses on the recent Doctoral Education Framework (2024), offering insights into persistent systemic challenges related to policy implementation. The analysis draws on interviews with policymakers and institutional actors responsible for enacting the new doctoral regulations and examines the intended objectives and anticipated outcomes of the 2024 framework. This approach enabled us to examine stakeholder understandings of policy intent, implementation processes, actor mandates, and anticipated behavioural responses. The study relies on primary qualitative data supported by secondary qualitative and quantitative sources. In doing so, it contributes to the developing literature on higher education policy realisation, which—despite recent studies—remains historically underdeveloped. |
| Keywords | implemenation; doctorates; Georgia; policy |
| Sustainable Development Goals | 4 Quality education |
| Middlesex University Theme | Health & Wellbeing |
| Research Group | Centre for Education Research and Scholarship (CERS) |
| Publisher | Springer |
| Journal | Higher Education Policy |
| ISSN | 0952-8733 |
| Electronic | 1740-3863 |
| Publication dates | |
| Online | 15 Jun 2026 |
| Publication process dates | |
| Accepted | 09 Feb 2026 |
| Deposited | 09 Feb 2026 |
| Output status | Published |
| Publisher's version | License File Access Level Open |
| Copyright Statement | This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1057/s41307-026-00445-3 |
https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/350171
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