Vakhtang (Vato) Lejava ( ka, ვახტანგ ლეჟავა) is a reform-minded Georgian, the Rector of the Free University of Tbilisi and the

Agricultural University of Georgia Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

and chief adviser to the

prime minister of Georgia The prime minister of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პრემიერ-მინისტრი, tr) is the head of government and chief executive of Georgia. In Georgia, the president is a ceremonial head of state and mai ...

in 2009–2012.Reformatics team members: Georgia
/ref> He was Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Deputy Minister of the Economy in 2004 and in 2007–2008, Deputy State Minister of Reforms Coordination 2005–2007, Chief Adviser to the Prime Minister and Chief Adviser on Economic and Governance Affairs in 2009–2012, and Deputy Minister of Finance in 2012.Celebrating Reform 2007: Doing Business Case Studies
/ref> Vato was a leading member of government bodies that guided a wide range of exemplary economic, structural, regulatory and business climate reforms that covered, but was not limited to: Liberty Act, sector reforms, privatization, international trade and investment climate. Vato Lejava led and coordinated swift and successful work on business reforms, resulting in Georgia's becoming No. 8 in 2014 globally, moving from No. 112 in 2005 .investor.ge
/ref> He was the negotiator from Georgian government side on the Economic Chapter of the Association Agreement with the EU; A key member of the negotiating team and the negotiator on two topics of the Georgian–EU negotiations on the DCFTA in 2009–2012. He represented Georgia in the Council of Europe GRECO (anti-corruption body), served as a deputy Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Council of Georgia. In this period Georgia moved in the

Transparency International Transparency International e.V. (TI) is a German registered association founded in 1993 by former employees of the World Bank. Based in Berlin, its nonprofit and non-governmental purpose is to take action to combat global corruption with civil ...

CPI Ranking from No. 124 (2003) to No. 51 (2014) outperforming some EU-member states. Since 2012 he has managed a premier tertiary education institution – Free University of Tbilisi, that has doubled its intake retaining outstanding quality and record high employment rate of the graduates. In 2014–2016 he was acting CEO of the Knowledge Fund, established by

Kakha Bendukidze Kakha Bendukidze ( ka, კახა ბენდუქიძე; 20 April 1956 – 13 November 2014) was a Georgian statesman, businessman and philanthropist, founder of the Knowledge Foundation and head of the supervisory board of Agricultural ...

, that made unprecedented for Georgia private investment of app. 50 mln. USD into higher education. As a partner of consulting company Reformatics (est. 2012) Vato is currently advising a number of governments in Central Europe, Africa and Asia (2011–2015). Vato was a board member of the

Georgian Rugby Union The Georgian Rugby Union (GRU) (Georgian: საქართველოს რაგბის კავშირი) is the governing body for the sport of rugby union in the nation of Georgia. Founded in 1964, it was part of the Rugby Union of ...

(2011–2015).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lejava, Vakhtang Living people Rectors of universities in Georgia (country) Politicians from Tbilisi Year of birth missing (living people) Free University of Tbilisi people

See also

References