Fourth-year student of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences of Tbilisi State University, majoring in social work; President of ESN Georgia (Georgia Erasmus Student Network) – such is the regalia of TSU student Tinatin Tsereteli, whom we would like to introduce to you.

TSU and specialization as the right choice

It is difficult to choose the right profession after graduating from school, because after some time your interests may change, and you may end up in the wrong place. With this in mind, Tinatin Tsereteli chose the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences of Tbilisi State University, which combined several related but independent fields that interested her.

“At first, I was interested in politics and social work, but I soon realized that social work was more in line with my personal values, so now I am speaking as a future social worker. In addition to the faculty itself, I was also fascinated by TSU’s connections with European universities, which really helped me gain international experience. 

I do not want this to be seen as an advertisement for the university or the faculty, but I can honestly say that entering TSU and choosing Social Work as a specialization was the best decision of my life. Entering the university academic space after school was not easy, especially against the background of being a student of the Covid era; however, distinguishing between easy and difficult subjects, communicating with different lecturers, taught me to adapt and focus on development. As for connections, the relationship with the professors and students of my department is another very pleasant part of being a student,” says Tinatin, who, in addition to being a student of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences of TSU, holds the status of the President of ESN Georgia in Tbilisi. 

By this time, Tinatin had managed to stay in many countries, which was both interesting and useful for the future social worker.

Experience and practice gained abroad

“I think I have made the most of being a student at TSU with the opportunities we are given during this time. I spent two exchange semesters in Europe as part of my undergraduate studies. First, I studied in Kiel, a beautiful coastal city in Germany, and then I spent a cold but fabulous semester at the University of Jyväskylä in Finland. Both exchange programs were organized within the Erasmus+ credit mobility. In addition to the exchange semesters, I also attended the International Week at the Catholic University in Freiburg together with the professors and students of the social work departments.

Both exchange semesters were the best memories of my life. Studying in Germany was a good practice to improve the German language and see the differences in education systems. Apart from studying, it was a way to make foreign friends and share culture. Studying in Finland made me think more seriously about my specialization, and I had the opportunity to visit schools and centers for migrants. I personally experienced the advantages of the Finnish model of education, well-equipped infrastructure for students and academic staff focused on the well-being of students,” recalls Tinatin.

When talking about the university, I try not to generalize my opinions, because it is impossible for me to have adequate information about all directions. Social Work, through its theoretical and practical components, has managed to deepen my interests and as mentioned above, has allowed me to observe the educational processes in other countries. The practical component, which involves visits and contacts in the public and private sectors, is the most prominent part of our course. I have already familiarized myself with the specifics of the work of organizations working for the welfare of children, both in the public and private sectors. I would also like to focus on my fellow students who respect each other’s space and share humanistic values, because I believe that our cohort, and the Department of Social Work in general, brings people together.

If you don’t care about other people’s problems, you won’t be able to stay in our profession...

“As a future social worker, I would like to see many professional and development-oriented people in our field. I would like to add here that I do not and cannot recommend this profession to everyone because it is an emotional and challenging work. If a person turns a blind eye to injustice and discrimination and does not care about other people’s problems, he/she will not be able to stay in this field for long. On the other hand, if you want to empower people, eliminate violence against the disabled persons, children and women, and generally help people solve social problems, then I can really recommend social work.        

The Georgian Association of Social Workers (GASW) defines social work as a profession that helps to improve the social functioning of individuals, groups and society. A general profile social worker has the knowledge to work individually with children, disabled persons, elderly, substance abusers, as well as to strengthen the family and the community. The public is less aware of the fact that a social worker also works on social policy issues at the macro level.

At the university, we often discuss what it means to be a social worker, which ultimately convinces us that a social worker cannot be just a nice person. A social worker should have academic training, be aware of theories of human development, the legal framework of the profession, and be able to collaborate with other sectors for human empowerment.

I can recommend to young people who are already interested in social work what teachers taught me when I chose this direction at the university. Do not think that social work is just doing a good deed and try to treat both learning and practice professionally. I recommend 100% to start preparing for international programs by learning foreign languages ​​and searching for information.

Of course, in addition to all the above-mentioned opportunities and educational and practical experiences that I get at the university, there are nuances that I would like to see improved at TSU. First, the university should support students. I think it is very important to have quality housing and catering facilities. I would like to emphasize that neither in Germany nor in Finland I had the feeling that we, the Georgian students, are inferior in intelligence and skills to the students of any European university. The main thing is that the university should take care of our welfare. It is not necessary that studying should be stressful, on the contrary, it should really become the most pleasant stage of our life,” says Tinatin.

She recently took on a new position. “I joined ESN Georgia in 2022 and recently took the position of president. The organization works mainly to diversify the experience of students who come to Georgia through the Erasmus+ credit mobility. We plan events so that foreign students can get to know Georgia better during their stay here, make friends with each other and create memories. In addition, the organization’s activities serve to promote volunteerism among Georgian students. For me, this position means taking responsibility for ensuring that the board and volunteers can work together to fill the spring semester with activities. At the same time, it is my duty to present our vision and experience at international meetings.”

Tinatin’s immediate plan is to earn a bachelor’s degree in social work and get a job in the field. For now, she does not plan to pursue a master’s degree. She is trying to improve her foreign language skills in order ​​to participate in international programs. She finds it difficult to talk about more far-reaching plans now, but she has a strong desire to maintain a connection with TSU in the future.