VIII Georgian-Polish International Scientific Conference "Transport Bridge Europe - Asia"
On October 16-18, Tbilisi hosted next conference from the “Transport Bridge Europe – Asia” series. This conference is traditionally called Georgian-Polish, although it has long since acquired international status. The tradition is connected with the fact that in 2014, scientists from the Georgian Technical University (GTU, Tbilisi) and the Silesian University of Technology (SUT) decided to organize the first conference. They were later joined by the Akaki Tsereteli State University (Kutaisi). Other organizers have also been among the organizers at different times, but this core has remained unchanged for a long time.
This conference differed from others by the comparatively large amount of the Polish delegation, which included scientists from the Silesian, Warsaw, Koszalin Technical Universities, Szczecin Maritime University, Bielsko-Biała University, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, and the Warsaw Military Technical University. In total, the Polish delegation consisted of 13 people. Scientists from Lithuania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Azerbaijan also came. Obviously, the largest number of participants came from Georgia.
In the days before the conference, there were also ceremonial events dedicated to the opening of several new laboratories at the Faculty of Transport Systems and Mechanical Engineering of the GTU. These laboratories were created with the support of local business companies operating in the transport sector of Georgia: AUTOTECHNO, AVTOBANI, LIONTRANS, GREENWAY. The conference participants were invited to participate in these events, and prof. A. Sładkowski, as co-chairman of the Scientific Committee of the conference, addressed all participants, and first of all, the students, with a welcoming speech.
The signing of the agreement about the transfer to GTU of one of the laboratories created by a local business
The plenary session of the conference was opened by the vice-rector of the GTU, prof. Tamara Tsereteli. Then the conference participants were addressed by prof. Aleksander Sładkowski; dean of the Faculty of Transport Systems and Mechanical Engineering of the GTU, dr. Boris Gitolendia; director of the Institute of Machine Mechanics named after R. Dvali of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, prof. Tamaz Natriashvili; prof. Velizara Pencheva, representing the University of Ruse (Bulgaria); dr. Tofik Babayev from the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, as well as representatives of business organizations cooperating with GTU.
Prof. Pridon Gogiashvili from Akaki Tsereteli State University (Kutaisi) addresses the conference participants with a welcoming speech – on the left. In the presidium from left to right: prof. A. Sładkowski, vice-rector of the GTU prof. T. Tsereteli, dean dr. B. Gitolendia
Then prof. A. Sładkowski gave a plenary presentation on the topic “Education of students of transport specialties in Poland considering the possibilities of international cooperation”.
Prof. A. Sładkowski delivers a plenary presentation
Conference participants during the plenary session
The conference sessions were held in two parallel sections: foreign and Georgian. Participants of the first section could present their papers in the official languages of the conference: English, Polish and Russian. A total of 51 papers on transport topics were presented. They were also published in the conference proceedings, which were printed as a thematic monograph containing 328 pages with ISBN 978-9941-8-7135-1. In addition to fruitful discussions that took place both during the sessions and behind the scenes, the issues of the functioning of the transport industry in different countries, as well as the possibilities of international cooperation were discussed.
The conference organizers also made sure that the conference participants could get acquainted with the history, culture, art, and traditions of the Georgian people in their free time. The conference participants got acquainted with the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, they could also see it from a bird's eye view, from Mount Mtatsminda. There were also two out-of-town excursions: along the Georgian Military Road to the foot of Kazbek and to Kakheti. During these excursions, the guests saw the Ananuri fortress, the Tsminda Sameba church, mineral springs near Gudauri, and the ruins of the Manavi fortress.
Foreign conference participants together with the organizers visit the ruins of the Manavi fortress in Kakheti