Maia Mikashavidze, Ph.D.

Director, Multimedia Project at Internews Georgia

Summary
N/A

Experience
Director, Multimedia Project
November 2016  -  Present
The project will support regional media in Georgia develop and distribute multimedia content,
provide in-depth journalistic coverage of topics of public interest, engage in joint projects with
Ukrainian and Moldovan journalists. The project is funded by the Department of State and runs in
three countries (Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine).

Professor
September 2014  -  Present
Taught graduate-level classes
Helped develop a portfolio of outreach and development projects
Contributed to the academic council

Co-founder, trainer at Management Academy

February 2010  -  Present

Media development consultant at Management Consulting

January 2005  -  Present
Was hired as a consultant and/or trainer by the US Government, Council of Europe, European
Commission, Open Society Georgia Foundation, Conrad Adenauer Foundation; Freedom House
for various media development and visibility projects.

Deputy Chairperson
September 2014  -  September 2015 (1 year 1 month)

Dean
January 2001  -  January 2011 (10 years 1 month)
Founded the journalism school through a four-year USG grant designed to educate 100 young
journalists. Nurtured and led the school over a decade to become the pre-eminent journalism
school in the Caucasus, which has since graduated more than 500 journalists.
Pioneered initiatives that provide short-term educational and training opportunities for working
journalists at the school’s training unit, training more than 200 professionals.

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 Managed a full-time staff of 10 and part-time staff of some 30 trainers.
Launched a job placement system and networking events for graduates, achieving the highest
employment rate among journalism programs in Georgia.
Established GIPA’s leadership in digital media education through new training programs and
streamlining curricula to incorporate conceptual and technological innovations, including enhancing
student-run web media.
Created the student-run Radio GIPA and the Frontline Georgia media club
Developed sustainability strategies for grant-based educational projects based on diversification of
income streams, lean administrative overhead, commercialization.
Supervised implementation of grant projects from international donors on promotion of new media,
social media, and citizen media (OSGF, 2010); Bar Camps (OSGF, 2010), joint online journalism
trainings with Transitions Online; development of a handbook on parliamentary communications for
use by the PR and information department of the Georgian Parliament (Westminster Foundation
for Democracy,

Press and Information Assistant

January 1995  -  January 2000 (5 years 1 month)
Helped devise and secure funding from the US Department of State for the first graduate-level
professional journalism program in the Caucasus, which later became Caucasus School of
Journalism and Media Management at GIPA.
Organized and administered the Embassy’s first TV co-production project, with two crews filming
journalism documentaries in the United States.
Organized media assistance and outreach projects, including training and institutional support for
regional media in Georgia.

Administrative Assistant
January 1994  -  January 1995 (1 year 1 month)
worked for International Development and Energy Associates/ USAID, Tbilisi, Georgia
Provided administrative support for USAID’s energy program in Georgia, implemented by a
contractor organization. Was among the first ten Georgian employees in USAID’s newly launched
office in Georgia before transferring to the US Information Agency

Education
University of South Carolina
PhD, Mass Communication, 2011 - 2014
Georgian Institute of Public Affairs
Master's Degree, Public Administration, 2004 - 2007
Tbilisi State Conservatory
Diploma, Music, 1984 - 1989

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Maia Mikashavidze, Ph.D.
Director, Multimedia Project at Internews Georgia

Contact Maia on LinkedIn

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