Corresponding member of the Academy, Doctor of Economics, Professor, Director of the Former Silk Research Institute, Decent Father, Merited Scientist and Teacher - Giorgi Nikoleishvili died on November 24, 2020.

Doctor of Economic Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Prof. G. Nikoleishvili belonged to the representatives of prominent scientists and figures who made a significant contribution to the scientific development of the silk industry He was a well-known researcher of the problems of the economy of the silk industry not only in Georgia and the post-Soviet countries, but also abroad.

 Prof. G. Nikoleishvili has published 190 scientific papers, including 19 monographs (including four monographs on the restoration and development of silkworm breeding in Georgia in recent years), three textbooks, one supporting textbook, several lecture courses he concept of silkworm development, many recommendations, instructions, methodological references, curriculum, more than a hundred newspaper science-popular articles.

The death of Mr. George is a great loss for the agrarian science of Georgia, especially he will greatly miss the development and implementation of programs to restore and rehabilitate silk industry in Georgia, his vivid memory will forever remain in the hearts of colleagues, friends and relatives.

        On November 10, 2020, the Minister of Agriculture of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara, Mr. Giorgi Surmanidze visited the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. This was his first visit to the Academy since he was appointed a Minister. It should be mentioned that the Ministry of Agriculture of Adjara was the first organization with which the Academy signed a memorandum of cooperation in 2013, and since then the cooperation in all directions has increasingly strengthened.

        In conversation with Giorgi Surmanidze, Academician G. Aleksidze told about the activities of the academy.The guest got acquainted with the structure and scientific areas of interest of the Academy, its international cooperation with world agrarian organizations and centers, scientific events held by the Academy, the publishing activities of the Academy, the scientific directions of the real members of the Academy working in Adjara and their activities. The guest visited the permanent exhibition and conference halls of the Academy, the training center for raising the qualification of farmers and agricultural specialists, the coordination center for environmental protection and agro-biodiversity, and the working cabinets of the Academy.

The Minister G. Surmanidze spoke about the plans and future prospects of the Ministry of Agriculture of Adjara for 2021, further deepening of cooperation between the Academy and the Ministry in the field of both scientific and practical activities.

The meeting with the Minister of Agriculture of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara was attended by the Vice-President of the Academy, Academician GiviJaparidze, head of the Academic Department, Academician ElgujaShapakidze, Vice President, Coordinator of Scientific Departments Dr. Anatoli Giorgadze and Academic Secretary of Scientific Departments, Dr. Marine Barvenashvili.

President of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Acad. GuramAleksidze and the Minister of Agriculture of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara Giorgi Surmanidze.

World Science Day

Since 2001, every year on November 10, UNESCO celebrates the International Day of Science for Peace and Development. This day emphasizes the important role of science in society and the need for public involvement in the discussion of new scientific issues. It also draws attention to the importance and relevance of science in everyday life.

International Science Day for Peace and Development aims to keep citizens informed about the latest developments in science by bringing society and science closer together.

On the occasion of World Science Day, a meeting was held at the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences with scientists working in the field of agriculture. The meeting was opened by the Vice President of the Academy, Academician GiviJaparidze who congratulated the audience on the World Science Day.

Acad. G. Japaridze noted in his speech that the World Science Day for Peace and Development, founded by UNESCO in 2001, is celebrated annually in November worldwide. This day was established at the World Science Conference, also held under the auspices of UNESCO in Budapest (Hungary) in 1999 by the International Union of Science. Celebrating this date every year serves the purpose of informing the international community of the need for the role of science. Thus, World Science Day helps scientists to show the general public what place it occupies in daily life.

Academician Givi Japaridze introduced the scientific activity of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the achievements of the members of the Academy in the international scientific arena to the audience. Cooperation with the international scientific-research structures of the Academy. He underlined scientific and practical activities carried out by the Academy with the Ministries of Georgia, also with farmers, practitioners and specialists in the field of agriculture. Also, noteworthy the educational activities of the Academy conducted in the direction of educating young specialists, publishing activities of the Academy, and etc.

At the meeting Acad. Givi Japaridze presented honorary diplomas of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences to Academician-Secretary of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences, Academician RamazKhurodze for his contribution to the development of engineering and agrarian sciences and raising a young generation of agrarian scientists. He also awarded Professor Davit Mirtskhulava, Professor Gela Javakhishvili, Professor Nana Giorgberidze, Doctor of Agriculture Karlo Buachidze, Academy Fellows NatoJabnidze and Giorgi Kutelia, Assoc. Professor Edisher Midelashvili, Messrs. Giorgi Shermadini and Tamaz  Gugeshashvili.

9.11. 2020

Zoom meeting from Tbilisi
Tuesday 6 October 2020, from 10.00 a.m. Paris time

On October 6, 2020, a Zoom meeting of Steering Committee of the Union of European Academies for Science Applied to Agriculture, Food and Nature was held.
The following members of the Steering Committee of UEAA attended the meeting: Guram Aleksidze (Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences), Michel Thibier (French Academy of Agriculture), Ioan Jelev (Rumanian Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences), Kerstin Niblaeus (Royal Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry), Iaroslav Gadzalo (National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine), Stefan Mihina (Slovak Academy of Agricultural Sciences).

One of the important issues on the Agenda of the meeting was

A. Election of the President of the UEAA, and
B. Election of the Vice President of the UEAA. 

Academician Guram Aleksidze, the President of Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, was unanimously elected the President of the Union of European Academies for Science Applied to Agriculture, Food and Nature by the members of the Steering Committee of the UEAA.

The candidacy of Academician Guram Aleksidze, who by that time was holding a position of the Acting President of UEAA, was supported by all participants of the Meeting.

Prof. Michel Thibier (France) characterized Academician G. Aleksidze as a distinguished scholar and public figure, and supported his candidacy for the presidency of the UEAA.

Next issue on the agenda was election of the Vice President of the UEAA. The Candidacy of Prof. Stefan Mihina, the President of the Slovak Academy of Agricultural Sciences, was nominated. The meeting participants voted for the named candidate and Prof. Stefan Mihina was unanimously elected as Vice President of UEAA. In his final speech, he pledged himself to cooperate fruitfully with other members and strive for further success of the UEAA.

The name of President of Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Academician of National Academy, Professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Guram Aleksidze is widely known in Georgia, as well as abroad. He is a distinguished scholar, the author of more than 230 scientific publications, including 17 books and more than 10 brochures, the most part of which have been published in international journals. His publications deal with integrated protection of agricultural plants (vine, fruit trees and citruses) from pests and diseases. Professor G. Aleksidze is one of the founders of scientific direction which studies pest control and integrated methods of plant protection in agriculture. The scientific studies which apply the Systems of Mathematical Modeling, implemented by Academician G. Aleksidze, which specifies interrelation of pests and useful insects in agrocoenosis – are still going on in Georgia.

For decades, Professor G. Aleksidze has been carrying out active and fruitful work cooperating with international organizations such as, CACAARI, (Head of Association of Asia and Caucasus Countries Scientific Research Organizations), CGIAR, FAO, ICARDA, CIMMYT, Biodiversity International, and other. His scientific activities in the US have been widely recognized.
Professor G. Aleksidze has carried out a many-year fruitful scientific and pedagogical work at different universities. About twenty doctorate students, among them foreign ones, have conducted researches and defended doctorate dissertations under his supervision.

Professor Štefan Mihina  is the member of the Slovak Academy of Agricultural Science (SAAS) since 1999, Scientific Secretary of the Council since 2002 to 2012, and President of the SAAS Slovak Academy of Agricultural Science in periods since 2013 to 2018, and since 2019 onwards. He focuses on research and education in fields of animal husbandry systems, housing and technology in management context, animal welfare, and environmental issues.
Since 1985 until 2009, he worked as the part-time lector at the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra and as the full-time professor since 2009 onwards.
He was the member of following international bodies: Standing Committee for Agricultural Research of the European Community (SCAR), Programme Committee of the 7th Framework Programme of EC, EU Rural network assembly, Working group on innovation for agricultural productivity and sustainability of the EIP – AGRI, Meters and Jars Subcommittee of the International Committee for Animal Recording (ICAR), Member of the Standing Committee for Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences (LESC) of the European Science Foundation (ESF), Member of Coordination Board of the European Initiative for Research for development (EIARD), Council of the European Federation of Animal Sciences (EAAP) – two years vice-president, and boards of editors of two scientific journals. He was the member of following national bodies: Council for Science, Technology and Innovation of the Slovak Government, Scientific Councils of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, two universities, three faculties and three research institutions, Presidium of the Slovak Research and Development Agency (vice-chairman), boards of editors of two scientific and two practical journals (chairman in one of them).

Professor Štefan Mihina was the coordinator and member of teams of seven international projects (including EC-FP) and five large national projects and is author of more than 400 papers. He is laureate of the Distinguished Service Award of European Federation for Animal Sciences, “Scientist of the Year award”, the Award of the Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, and many others.

The Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences announces with great sadness that Professor Antonio Michele Stanca, President of the UEAA, Vice President of the Accademia dei Georgofili (Italy) passed away   on March 19, 2020, victim of coronavirus infection spread in Italy.

Professor Antonio Michele Stanca was a great friend of the Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. He took an active part in the International Scientific Conference held in Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The conference "Wheat in European Countries and Georgia as one of the origin of Wheat" was held in October 2019. With his initiative It was planned in September 2020 to hold in Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences a meeting of the General Assembly of the Union of European Academies of Agriculture, Food and Nature and to organize the International Scientific Conference about "Mechanization of Agriculture in Europe and its Perspectives".

Presidium of Georgian Academy of Agricultural Sciences expresses its deepest condolences to the family of Professor Michele Stanca and the Union of European Academies of Agriculture, Food and Nature.