For my bachelor’s, I chose an interdisciplinary social sciences program at Free University of Tbilisi. This program was the most challenging and, at the same time, the most extraordinary thing I have ever done. During those four years, alongside with having anxiety attacks and overestimating the number of electives I could handle per semester, I also managed to translate a book about urban economics, write a BA thesis about Instagram and art museums, intern at a co-working space and participate in numerous international forums and summer schools learning about world politics and global institutions.

In the end, GLOCAL (Rotterdam Pathway) was the only master’s I applied for, because it combined my interest in international business and economic history with my passion for innovative cities and creative industries. In addition to, I liked the idea of observing everything through the lens of glocalization – how local actors respond to global processes – which is very important for someone who is coming from such a small country as Georgia.

What makes GLOCAL special is that you do not get only academic knowledge, but also real-life experience, you learn from the cities you live in and people you meet there, not to mention your course-mates who have diverse ethnic, professional and academic backgrounds… I started to learn Arabic in Glasgow and besides the main courses, I am also taking a class about innovation and entrepreneurship in the region of MENA. Each morning, when I open our WhatsApp group chat, I get news about every corner of the world. When you are in GLOCAL, the world truly becomes your familia.