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Osnabrück and Tbilisi: Cultural dialogue through textile cooperation!
In the summer semester of 2025, the UNI Osnabrück will start its exchange with Georgian students to promote textile culture.
Osnabrück and Tbilisi: Cultural dialogue through textile cooperation!
In the summer semester of 2025, the University of Osnabrück will experience a significant exchange with the Georgian Art Academy in Tbilisi. In this context, the first Georgian students took part in courses at the university. This step is accompanied by a high-level visit attended by Prof. Tinatin Kldiashvili, Vice President of the Academy of Arts, and Maya Kipiani, Head of the International Office. Both institutions share a special connection through the textile UNESCO World Heritage Site of blue printing, which also includes the Georgian blue tablecloth “Lurja Supra”.
The week of visits to the university included a variety of activities. This included a workshop entitled “Inspiration from the Blue Table Cloth in Batik Technique”, an excursion to a blueprint shop in Jever and an exchange of ideas with the International Office at the University of Osnabrück. A visit to the Cloth Makers Museum in Bramsche was also on the program. These events are intended to help make textile design visible as a living cultural asset across national borders.
Long-term cooperation in prospect
The Erasmus partnership between the University of Osnabrück and the Tbilisi Art Academy is initially scheduled to last two years. Further steps towards long-term cooperation are already planned. This includes a return visit by the Osnabrück delegation in July and the guest stay by the textile artist Prof. Nino Kvrivishvili. Furthermore, the aim is to send more Georgian students in 2026.
In addition, options for supporting Osnabrück guest students in Tbilisi are being investigated. As part of these efforts, a bilateral exhibition on “Blue Table Cloth” is being prepared, which is financed by funds from the Schroubek Foundation. The initiatives reflect the goal of establishing deeper international cooperation in the field of textile design.
National and international contexts
The exchange with Georgia is not isolated, but rather part of a broader commitment by the University of Osnabrück to promote international exchange. In the winter semester 2024/25, a course in the area of textile design will be offered for Erasmus exchange students. The Textile Design Department maintains partnerships with several international universities, including the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts and universities in Finland and Switzerland.
The university is pursuing various projects to strengthen European cooperation. This includes cooperation trips to Georgia and Berlin, where the focus was on textile studies, craft education and makerspaces. These ventures are supported by, among others, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Lower Saxony Ministry of Culture.
In summary, it can be said that the cooperation between the University of Osnabrück and the Tbilisi Art Academy not only enriches the students of both institutions. It also contributes to the preservation and revival of traditional craft techniques that have their place in Georgia and Germany. This initiative shows how education and art can build bridges across national borders to keep cultural heritage alive.