Beka Tavartkiladze, Senior Director Global Education and Knowledge at World Education Services (WES), tells us how he seized the opportunities that opened up with the collapse of the Soviet Union. From Georgia he travelled to the United States to pursue his studies, first as a High School student and then in higher education. He shares with us what her refers to as 'a calling', his commitment and passion for supporting other students internationally to make the most of an international education experience, a calling that has driven his professional career since joining WES in 2002.
Beka reflects on changing international mobility patterns which he sees as being increasingly no longer dominated by the linear Global South-Global North direction, and considers the growing importance of transnational education and online learning as means to widen access to an international education experience. He expands on some of the key challenges regarding credential evaluation that he has been grappling with over the years... and shares some of the challenges of being an international student, including being an international student in the US coming from Georgia the country, not the US State!