Dr. Irine Darchia is an Associate Professor in Classics at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU) since 1996 and deputy head of the TSU Institute of Classical, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies. She studied Georgian and Classical Philology at TSU (Georgia) and Modern Greek Language and Culture at National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece). Dr. Irine Darchia did her Internship at the Universities of Jena and Saarbrucken (Germany), defended her dissertations (equivalent to PhD and Habilitation) at TSU (Georgia).
Dr. Irine Darchia teaches classics at TSU (Georgia), but as a visiting professor she has delivered courses and public lectures at the universities of Germany, Greece, France, Italy, Norway, Denmark and Romania. She is an author of two monographs, dictionary and over 40 articles published in Georgia and abroad, a co-author of Handbooks, Dictionaries and Encyclopedia.
Since 2005 Dr. Irine Darchia has served as a Head of Quality Assurance Service and Vice-Rector of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, Higher Education Reform Expert (HERE) of Tempus/Erasmus+ National Office Georgia, Rector’s Adviser at National Defence Academy, TSU, University of Georgia and Saint Andrew the First-Called Georgian University of the Patriarchate of Georgia, Vice-Rector of East European University, Head of Higher Education and Science Development Department of the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia.
Nowadays Dr. Irine Darchia is an authorization and accreditation expert at NCEQE (Georgia), SKVC (Lithuania), AIKA (Latvia), NAKVIS (Slovenia), QQI (Ireland). She is a member of International Advisory Board of NAQA (Ukraine) and a member of Appeals Committee at MFHEA (Malta).
Dr. Irine Darchia’s fields of expertise are: Quality Assurance, Curricula Development, Doctoral Studies, Lifelong Learning/Continuous Education. She has developed Guideline: “Lifelong Learning at HEI-s”, recommendations to the HEI-s, Ministry of Education and Sciences for development of doctoral education, reader and recommendations on QA mechanisms and procedures in the context of NQF, studies on external and internal quality assurance, doctoral education etc.
Dr. Irine Darchia took part in development of Georgia’s Lifelong Learning Strategy in 2010 and Higher Education Development Strategy approved by the Government of Georgia in December, 2017. As a Head of the Department for Higher Education and Research Development in the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia she took part in development of Authorization and Accreditation Standards of HEIs in compliance with European Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance (ESG 2015).
Dr. Irine Darchia is a member of International Plato Society and Honorary Member of the Organization for the Promotion of Greek Language. She holds a Medal of Honor for her special contribution to the internationalization and development of Classics in Georgia.
Dr. Irine Darchia speaks English, Russian and Modern Greek languages. She has a command of Ancient Greek and Latin, uses Italian and German for academic purposes.