Building Georgia’s future: a Chevening scholar’s path to change

Levan’s work is helping build Georgia’s capacity for data-driven policymaking, an impact that reaches far beyond his own career.  

Through his initiatives, including the Georgian Economic Literacy Initiative (GELI) and two nonprofit consultancies, he:  

• Delivers economics and financial literacy courses to schools   
• Applies operational research methods to tackle complex policy challenges.    

His journey began with Chevening.

Co-funded by Chevening and the Bank of Georgia, Levan completed an MSc in Operational Research at the University of Edinburgh, a year he describes as ‘the most productive in my life’.   

With a background in economics and public policy, he initially saw the master’s as a steppingstone to a PhD, but the experience proved to be transformative. Immersed in the UK’s applied, independent learning environment, he developed advanced skills in programming, modelling, and data analysis.

‘Chevening allowed me to build the confidence because of the competition level’.  

Returning to Georgia, Levan brought his skills home to drive innovation in education and policy.

With support from the Bank of Georgia, he founded GELI, delivering economics and financial literacy courses to schools nationwide and contributing to the Bank’s own economic literacy resources.

He also launched two nonprofit consultancies, using operational research to support evidence-based policymaking across the public sector.

Levan credits his Chevening year with giving him the professional resilience and independence needed to solve difficult challenges in environments with limited guidance.

Today, he continues to teach, mentor aspiring economists, and support new Chevening applicants who hope to follow in his footsteps, ensuring the impact of his Chevening journey continues to multiply across Georgia.