Anano Sikmashvili
| Anano Sikmashvili is an undergraduate student at GIPA. She has recently completed an internship at the Department of Public Diplomacy at the US Embassy in Georgia. Anano is particularly interested in methods for combating disinformation and propaganda, and she conducts training sessions at the Youth Center for Civic Development (YCCD Georgia).
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Irina Pharulava
| Irina is a third-year student at the Law Faculty of Ilia State University. In addition to her studies, she works as a lawyer for the non-governmental organization “Democracy Defenders.” Irina is particularly interested in identifying disinformation and propaganda in the media, as well as studying human rights.
Contest Material: A Homophobic Law Imposing Censorship PUBLISHED MATERIAL: Pro-government Imedi TV Disseminates the Comment of a Local Observer Manipulatively |
Nini Badurashvili
| Nini graduated with honors from the undergraduate law program at Ilia State University in 2024. She is actively involved in various projects that focus on fundamental human rights and freedoms. Nini has a strong interest in criminal law as well as civil and constitutional litigation. Currently, she is studying the process of implementing international legal norms at the national level and is researching gender-based labor discrimination, focusing on the legal aspects of both national and international legislation.
Contest Material: Framing Equality: Ethical Reporting to Protect the Rights of People with Disabilities |
Nina Papikyan
| Nina Papikyan has a wide range of interests and is currently studying at Ilia State University. Her primary focus is on the philology of the Georgian language, with an additional specialty in mathematics. Beyond her academic pursuits, Nina is actively engaged in projects with non-governmental organizations. She has a strong interest in journalism and plans to delve deeper into this field in the future. This interest was sparked by her internship at a public broadcaster as part of the HaksEPER project.
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Leili Ambaryan
| Leili Ambaryan studies international relations at Ilia State University. She is interested in researching the involvement of ethnic minorities in Georgia’s social and political life. As a volunteer in the university’s Tutoring Program, Leili assists students from ethnic minorities in integrating into Georgian society. Additionally, she studies graphic arts and enjoys drawing.
Contest Material: Where Do Samtskhe-Javakheti Residents Get the Information PUBLISHED MATERIAL: |
Nini Bluishvili
| Nini Bluishvili is a fourth-year student at Tbilisi State Medical University. She currently works at Ingorokva Clinic and is actively involved in various research and academic projects. In addition, Nini engages in volunteer activities as a member of the Georgia Red Cross Society and a public organization AISI. She has also earned the rank of military medic and conducts training sessions with schoolchildren on basic field conditions and first aid.
Contest Material: Disinformation in Medicine Can Kill PUBLISHED MATERIAL: A Fabricated Cover Photo Falsely Attributed to TITANIC Circulates Regarding Ukraine-US Relations |
Ketevan Tandashvili
| Twenty-year-old Ketevan Tandashvili is a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Law at Tbilisi State University. In addition to her studies, she works as a corporate lawyer at GKG Law Group and serves as a coordinator at ISFED. In her free time, Ketevan teaches children and actively conducts training sessions for school students.
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Mariam Beria
| Mariam Beria is a graduate of the Bachelor’s program in Social Sciences at Ilia State University. Alongside her studies, she completed an internship at the Center for Higher Studies at Iliauni. Her areas of interest include religious studies, gender sociology, and issues related to disinformation and counter-propaganda.
Contest Material: Anti-Western Messages by Clergy on Facebook PUBLISHED MATERIAL: Disinformation by Giorgi Volski Claiming That European Leaders Are Calling on People to Take Up Arms |
Davit Katamadze
| Davit is studying in the Bachelor’s program of Governance and Social Sciences at the Free University. He is particularly interested in studying propaganda in traditional and social media and has contributed to several research projects on the subject. Davit aspires to advocate for the comprehensive integration of media literacy programs in schools.
Contest Material: How Imedi Uses Soviet-Style Propaganda to Spread News PUBLISHED MATERIAL: A Fabricated Cover of Charlie Hebdo Related to Ukraine’s Peace Formula |
Mariam Megrelishvili
| Mariam is a student of international relations at Ilia State University. As part of the Erasmus+ program, she also studied at Uppsala University in Sweden. This is what led to her interest in Swedish politics. This year, Mariam completed an internship at the Iliauni Center for Higher Studies. Mariam is also involved in sports activities.
Contest Material: Pro-Chinese Propaganda in Georgia PUBLISHED MATERIAL: Disinformation Claims That Starting EU Negotiations in 2028 Is Mandated by Law |
Zurab Abashidze
| Zurab Abashidze is passionate about political science. After completing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in this field, he re-enrolled in the doctoral program at Tbilisi State University. His areas of interest include disinformation, propaganda, and cybersecurity.
Contest Material: ‘Russian Law’ and TikTok’s Disinformation Algorithm PUBLISHED MATERIAL: Russian or Byzantine eagle – what is the symbol displayed in the courtyard of Svetitskhoveli? |
Nino Peradze
| Nino is a student in the International Relations Program at Ilia State University. She studied in Hungary for one semester as part of the Erasmus+ exchange program and is an active member of the Erasmus Student Network (ESN Georgia). Additionally, Nino serves as the social media monitor for Fair Elections (ISFED). Her area of interest is political philosophy, focusing on the impact of far-right populism and nationalism on international politics.
Contest Material: Territorial Integrity in Georgian Dream’s Election Campaigns PUBLISHED MATERIAL: A Fabricated Quote Attributed to the Head of BlackRock Circulates |
Goga Gogashvili
| Twenty-year-old Goga Gogashvili is a third-year student in the Political Science Bachelor’s program at GIPA. With a focus on his future profession, he is particularly interested in observing and analyzing current political processes in Georgia. Goga, along with his friends, plans to create a new YouTube channel where he will provide detailed reviews of the pre-election environment and the election programs of various parties.
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Aleksandre Nadibaidze
| Aleksandre Nadibaidze studies political science at Ilia State University. He is particularly interested in comparative politics and gender issues. In this direction, he deepened his knowledge at the University of Bremen in Germany within the framework of the ERASMUS+ program. Alexandre is interested in academic research and has completed an internship program at the Iliauni Center for Advanced Studies.
Contest Material: The Team Unites: Universal Success and Football on the Edge of Political Manipulation |
Mari Markhvaidze
| Twenty-year-old Mari Markhvaidze currently dedicates most of her time to non-formal education. She is a graduate of the Faculty of German Studies at Ilia State University. This summer, Mari volunteered in Poland, where she worked on projects related to ecology and art. Her hobbies include photography and hiking.
Contest Material: PUBLISHED MATERIAL: AI-generated photos of Trump and Putin celebrating U.S. election results are circulating |
Elene Devidze
| Elene holds a Bachelor’s degree in Governance and Social Sciences from the Free University, with an additional specialization in the German language. During her time at university, she was actively involved in researching social protests and served as a research assistant in this area. Recently, Elene completed an internship at the Ministry of Finance of Georgia, which was part of a partnership with DAI and USAID. She is currently interning at Radio Liberty. Elene’s areas of interest include journalism, political science, and civic activism.
Contest Material: PUBLISHED MATERIAL: Photos of Fake Graffiti Depicting Zelenskyy Circulate Under Fox News’ Name |
Nana Chaduneli
| Nana is interested in journalism, and after completing her bachelor’s degree in this field at Tbilisi State University, she continued her studies in the master’s program in Media Studies. She is currently a second-year student. Nana wants to learn more about how to spot disinformation, which sparked her interest in MythLab.
Contest Material: PUBLISHED MATERIAL: Fake Poster With Sexist Content Circulates Under the Name of Ukrainian Women’s Guard |
Elene Chankvetadze
| Elene is a fourth-year student of International Relations at GIPA. Her main areas of interest include philosophy, international politics, economics, and sociology. This year, Elene took a political economy course sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation titled “The Historical Development of the Global Financial Sphere and the Banking Sector in Georgia,” which further deepened her interest in these subjects.
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Revaz Chitanava
| Revaz Chitanava is an MA student in International Relations at Ilia State University. His areas of interest include hybrid warfare strategies, international relations theories, and peacebuilding.
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Nikoloz Beberashvili
| Nikoloz studies at Tbilisi State University in the Faculty of Humanities, focusing on the Spanish Studies program. At the same time, he works as a video operator for sports matches.
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Andria Sajaia
| Andria Sajaia is studying International Relations at the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at Tbilisi State University. He is interested in ongoing conflicts around the world and in studying the methods of disinformation and propaganda involved in these situations.
Contest Material: The Evolution of Anti-Semitic Conspiracies in Georgian Facebook PUBLISHED MATERIAL: Anti-opposition Facebook Page Disseminates a Video Fabrication of Aleko Elisashvili |
Eto Duruli
| Eto Duruli, an 18-year-old first-year law student at TSU, actively engages in informal education during her spare time and frequently participates in various projects. She volunteers for two organizations: “STEP TOWARD SUCCESS” and “Youth Idea of Gori.” Eto has also taken part in exchange programs in Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing articles, studying history, and traveling.
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Tinatin Grdzelishvili
| Tinatin is studying international relations at the Georgia branch of Webster University. She has completed internships at the Public Diplomacy Department of the U.S. Embassy in Georgia and the United Nations Association of Georgia. Currently, she serves as the executive director of the Georgian Equality Association and is also the coach of the debate club at Buckswood School. Her areas of interest include politics, international defense, education, equality, and human rights.
Contest Material: Threatening Calls Amid Russian Law and the Silence of the Investigation |
Nino Kotolashvili
| Nino is a teacher and researcher with a master’s degree in history and a bachelor’s degree in both history and political science. She has two years of experience working in non-governmental organizations. Currently, she serves as a History and Culture teacher at a European school. Her research interests include the Soviet and post-Soviet periods, the politics of memory, identity and conflicts, and state institutions.
Contest Material: The Pre-Election Media Environment PUBLISHED MATERIAL: |
