New text book-Lessons of Democracy: Political History of the United States of America 1600-1877

Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University published text book - Lessons of Democracy: Political History of the United States of America 1877-2008 by associate professor Elene Medzmariashvili and assistant professor Mikheil Barnovi.

Journal of American Studies, Volume 7 

On 15th March, 2019 at 4 pm, Institute of American Studies hosted a presentation of the Journal of American Studies, Volume 7. The Journal includes the papers of Georgian and American authors dedicated to the various issues of American Studies. The wide range of topics covers nearly all the spheres of American life.

Venue: TSU, 1st Building, auditorium No. 107

Text book-Lessons of Democracy: Political History of the United States of America 1877-2008

Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University hosted author, professor Vasil Kacharava, head of  Institute of American Studies  on November 14, 2018 for the launch of his latest university text book,  Lessons of Democracy: Political History of the United States of America 1877-2008.

Journal of American Studies, #6, 2016

Due to several subjective and objective causes, there has been a long interval
before launching the sixth edition of the Journal of American Studies. We are not going
to list the reasons here, since it will only exhaust and annoy our readers. Therefore,
instead of seeking justice and trying to restore it, we chose to carry on working. The
good news is that the long pause is over and as the saying goes, all is well that ends
well.
After publishing our fifth edition in 2008, many significant events have taken place
in the life of the Centre of American Studies as well as of our employees. The Center of
American Studies has been awarded the status of an Institute, which makes us really
happy and proud.
During these years, the Institute has been continuously organizing annual
international conferences and by now, we have held 14 conferences. The number of
speakers traditionally ranged between 150 and 200, but as you know, quality matters
more than quantity, especially in the science, which we have successfully achieved.
The employees of our Institute carried on their scientific and pedagogical work.
Along with editing several journals and monographs, they also published a great
number of their own works. These were: the course of lectures on “The History of
European Countries and the United States of America of the XX century” by professor
Elene Medzmariashvili, published in 2008, Vasil Kacharava’s monograph “America in
the 1920s” published the same year followed by the next monograph “America in the
1950s” in 2011, a course of lectures “Essays in American Philosophy” by professor
Anastasia Zakariadze. We are intensively using the above listed publications as
manuals, as well as supplementary teaching materials in our syllabus, although they do
not lack the interest of a wider audience.
Traditionally, our employees regularly take part in many local and international
conferences.
Our Institute has acquired a very talented and dignified employee, Michael
Barnovi, an assistant to the professor. The field of his research is the history of
American Indians. Therefore, Native American Studies has also been added to the
existing spheres of the Institute of American Studies. I believe, he will delight us with
his brilliant dissertation and monographs in the near future.
We have renewed our curriculum as well, having offered several new courses to
our students, among them are the History of Latin American Countries, the History of
Culture of the United States, the History of Georgian-American Relations, XX century
Latin America, American Pragmatism, Alexis de Tocqueville ’s “Democracy in
America”, Foundations of the American Economy (in English), State Management
System of America (in English), authentic sources of American history of 1930s and
1950s, etc.
The Institute continues active cooperation with US Embassy, which is businesslike
and friendly, as usual. I would like to emphasize the role of the head of the Department
of Public Relations, Mr. Michael Turner and his successor Ms. Lola Petrova. These
diplomats have demonstrated high professionalism and human warmth in the
relationships with our professors and students. They have delivered many presentations
for the members of our Institute and most importantly, managed to organize several
telecourses from the United States. As well as that, they have often invited our students
to the Embassy, held several concerts of American artists and organized many other
interesting events. Owing to grants awarded by the US Embassy, the Institute translated,
edited and published the digest of key documents of American history “The Patriot’s
History Reader” prepared by American historians. In 1970s, only a few documents in
the chrestomathy of American history were published and even they were selected
according to ideological criteria. Thus this is the first attempt to present the
comprehensive list of documents selected in the democratic society to Georgian
scientists, students and politicians, as well as anyone interested in American history to
familiarize them with those historical documents and events that had determined the
creation and development of this great country.
Parallel to that, with the support of the US Embassy, professors Elene
Medzmariashvili and Vasil Kacharava are working on developing of a two-volume
manual of American History – “Lessons of Democracy”.
Several manuals were written in the Soviet period by genuinely outstanding
scientists, our teachers, which were valuable, but they were forced to confine
themselves to then existing ideology. This is not the case today any more and we have
the opportunity to write a modern manual which will live up to the expectations of
Georgian people, especially that we can count on the assistance of our Georgian
colleagues, as well as American scientists.
The Institute continues the so-called extra-curriculum activities. We hold regular
meetings of American and Georgian scientists and public figures with students and
professors of American Studies. Many thanks to the people who deliver such interesting
lectures disinterestedly and often in deference to our University and its professors. The
Institute also carries on showing the feature and documentary films and discussions.
On the initiative of our students and with the active support of the Institute, we
have held two student conferences on American Studies. We are happy to witness that
the generation to come is extremely talented and motivated.
The institute continues its traditional cooperation with the centers of American
Studies at various Universities of Georgia. We are proud that the Tbilisi State
University professors have also made their contribution to the creation and development
of these centers.
I would like to remember the founder of the American Studies in Kutaisi
University, Professor Vakhtang Amaghlobeli with deep concern. The decease of this
magnificent person and a committed professional is a grievous loss for the friendly
family of Georgian American Studies.
On November 15, 2013, Mr. Richard Norland, the Ambassador of the USA to
Georgia, visited our Institute. Even though the visit did not last long, he fascinated us
with his easy manners, intelligence and interesting proposals. We hope that in its turn,
Georgian Embassy in the United States will actively cooperate with our Institute, which
is its immediate obligation.
Now back to our journal. The editorial board has selected very interesting articles
concerning various spheres of American life and hopefully, they will be interesting and
useful for Georgian readers, especially our students, for whom our Journal is the only
source of studies in Georgian language. The Journal includes articles by Stanford and
Rutgers University scientists. This time we chose to publish them in English. We are
actively cooperating with the professors of these Universities - Shelly Fisher Fishkin
and Michael Rockland. Professor Fishkin is the co-editor of this issue, as well as of
previous ones and has expressed his good will to help us with the further development
of Georgian American Studies. Michael Rockland, the consultant of Masters and PhD
programs in American Studies has rendered us great assistance. He has participated in
our conferences twice as a main speaker and also delivered a course of lectures together
with our professors. Similarly, an American Fulbright Professor Jeremy Taigen
delivered lectures for our students of Master’s program. We would like to thank all who
have visited us at least once to share their experience with our students and professors,
who are actively involved in the work of annual conferences on American Studies and
take part in the creation of this Journal.
We would like to thank the administration of the Tbilisi State University and the
Faculty of Humanities who have made it possible to publish this delayed issue.

Good luck dear Journal N 6.

Vasil Kacharava
Head of the Institute of American Studies
at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University