Nino

Hello, my name is Nino, I am from Georgia and I am in my third year of a bachelor's degree in economics at the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University. I am particularly interested in development and environmental economics and I want to contribute to those fields in my country. I have my international education to thank for introducing me to what will hopefully be my future career, and I try to support younger students who want to follow similar programmes.

I believe curiosity and ambition are what determine our academic paths. Throughout my secondary education I explored various ways of learning, in formal and informal education, different institutions, teachers, programmes and independent projects, to work out how I wanted to approach my courses and align them with my goals. My teaching method is based on that experience: not fixed, but constructed to fit the student's strengths and interests by testing different approaches. I favour interactive lessons and open communication.

My desire to explore the new and unknown is what brought me here, and using my knowledge to contribute to my communities is what keeps me on track now. Studying abroad was always my dream, and after achieving it I noticed I can use that wider view to help others. I will be an economist in a couple of years, but I can be a tutor and a study partner to my younger peers now.

I have been in international education for nearly five years. The two years of the IB Diploma Programme were significant: they developed some of my most important skills and helped me see my own potential, in a diverse environment with other determined students. Starting an internationally accredited economics programme in my home country then taught me how to apply my studies at home while keeping a worldwide perspective. It also gave me exchange semesters at the University of Limerick and the University of Groningen, which encouraged my independence and resilience.

I divide my free time into three: creative outlets such as sewing, knitting and other crafts; exploring art through reading, film, television, galleries and museums; and social activities such as hiking and travelling. I care a great deal about protecting natural ecosystems, animal care, preserving resources and upcycling, which shows in both my studies and my free time.