Azernews.Az

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has approved a five-year programme worth $140 million for Georgia, to be spent on the development of science and technology in the country, the U.S. Ambassador Richard Norland told journalists on June 20.

"Our cooperation in the field of education is very positive and the United States has been assisting Georgia for many years to improve this area," Norland said.

According to the MCC, the corporation completed its first five-year programme for the sum of $395.3 million with Georgia in March 2011. The programme mainly focused on the development of infrastructure.

In January 2011, the MCC announced its agreement to start a new programme with Georgia which in turn has made suggestions as to what is needed to use the funding allocated by the second grant package within the framework of the Millennium Challenge Programme.

At the request of the MCC, the Georgian government has carried out an analysis and found out that the existing level of human capital is a factor that complicates economic growth and this is particularly felt in the science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) areas.

In order to improve the quality of education in these fields and increase the manufacturing capacity, strategic investments will be made starting from the general education stage, including technical training and the completion of further steps of training, during which special attention will be paid to the increasing involvement of professional women in STEM.

The second phase which will presumably be approved this summer consists of three projects.

These are as follows: 'To improve the quality of general education', the purpose of which is to increase the level of general education through the rehabilitation of schools and training of teachers and school administrators. The 'Project for the development of industrial skills and labour' which aims to meet the demands of the market by Georgian citizens having appropriate technical skills and the 'STEM Higher Education Project' the purpose of which is to attract partners from one or more U.S. universities with the modernisation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics education offering high-quality programmes.

"One of the main conditions for economic growth is providing citizens with education and skills necessary for them to achieve success in a modernised economy," executive director of MCC Daniel W. Yohannes said.

MCC said that 'the value of the commitment of Georgia is to good governance' was emphasised at the June 19 meeting of the board of directors chaired by the US Secretary of State John Kerry.