Mate Gulua (Georgia)

PROGRAMME: Master's in Politics and Governance in the Digital Age
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: Georgian, English.

Why did you choose to study this programme?

Politics is a part of everyone's life. does not matter if you are not interested in it, politics is interested in you - therefore, it is essential to understand it. if we want our current democratic order to survive, it is the duty of the citizen to be informed and understand politics. Governance on the other hand is application of politics, to be informed and educated is one thing, but implementing practical ideas is also a necessary skill, not just in politics but in life in general. And of course, all of this is now done through the medium of the digital world. One can not function personally, let alone on a systematic level without understanding how to navigate in the digital age.

That is why when determining my next step after I had finished my BA I made my choice to study PGDA. Aside from the above mentioned practical interest, I also have a passion for this field and this program is a great way to exercise that passion.

UT is without exaggeration the best option, not just in Estonia or the Baltics, but in the entire Eastern and Central European region to study PGDA - Estonia is at the forefront of digital development and UT as the best of Estonia, is clearly the right choice.

Why Estonia?

I've been meaning to experience Estonia since I was a teenager and fully comprehended the shared history that Estonians and us Georgians have. Naturally, when exploring options University of Tartu came up and after a bit of research, the choice was clear as day.

When I first came to Estonia the first thing I noticed is that the stereotypes about them being introverted, cold and emotionally distant are wrong. Sure, at a glance, they're not exactly outgoing, but once you go past the surface level, Estonians are one of the nicest, caring and more importantly, polite people you'll meet.

Tartu as a town is magnificent, it offers everything a "modern" city should offer, without the negatives that are usually part and parcel of big urban areas. There is calm and quiet, there is bombastic and loud, there is professional and there is fun - despite being so small, there is space for everyone in Tartu.