HELLO, MY NAME IS
Advancing PhD studies
Tornike Batavani is a Public Health and Epidemiology PhD student at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU).
In 2020, he graduated from the Georgian-Norwegian Collaborative Master’s Program in Public Health at TSU with distinction. After obtaining his Master of Public Health degree, Tornike then began his PhD studies focusing on occupational health and safety. In particular, his PhD research topic is occupational health and safety in the construction sector in the republic of Georgia. The doctoral advisors for his PhD topic include his supervisor Prof. Nino Chikhladze from TSU, and his co-supervisor, Prof. Jesper Löve from the University of Gothenburg.
In addition to pursuing his PhD degree, Tornike Batavani has been an invited lecturer at TSU, teaching courses in Global Health and in Health Economics.
The major focus of my Experiential Learning Project (ELP) Award was occupational safety and injuries in the construction industry in Georgia. Currently the construction sector is one of the most hazardous industries in the country, but despite this there were significant knowledge gaps regarding occupational safety in this area.
I have participated in some of the iCREATE events over the past few years and I had the opportunity to learn from the expertise of the researchers involved in this project in the field of violence and injury prevention. So, I knew from the start that the ELP would be a valuable learning experience for me.
Indeed, the ELP award provided the training opportunities that are highly important for any researcher working in the field of public health, and especially for the ones specializing in occupational safety and injury prevention. In addition to the theoretical part however, the most important aspect of the ELP for me has been the great level of experience provided by the project. The ELP has allowed me to enhance my skills of conducting research in the construction industry.
The ELP Award has greatly helped me advance my PhD studies as well, since the latter is also focused on the same topic of occupational safety and health.
I appreciate the independence I had in making research-related decisions throughout the project. This was probably one of the most exciting parts of the ELP. At the same time, the project coordinators were always available to assist with any obstacles encountered.
I am particularly grateful to my mentor, Prof. Jonathan A. Davis from the University of Iowa, for his guidance, and to Diana Nemeș from Babeș-Bolyai University, who provided great help with all organizational and logistical questions.
The research conducted as part of the iCREATE ELP provided valuable insights into some of the underlying issues within the construction industry in Georgia that may be leading to an increased number of injuries. This could help us plan more effective prevention strategies and interventions in the future. The research results can hopefully contribute to the reduction of the number of fatal and non-fatal accidents occurring in the construction industry in Georgia.
The results of the research were initially disseminated in July, 2025, during an event held at the Faculty of Medicine of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU). The event was attended by the TSU academic staff, public health students and alumni.
During the event, the main findings of the study and the key lessons from the iCREATE ELP-related activities were presented. We also talked about the current challenges in the construction industry in Georgia and the future research directions in this area. The presentation of the study results generated great interest among the attendees and sparked a lively discussion regarding the topic of occupational safety in Georgia.
Now we are planning to further disseminate the iCREATE ELP research results by publishing them in relevant academic journals.
Increasing Capacity for Injury Research in Eastern Europe
Dr. Diana Dulf
diana.dulf@ubbcluj.ro
Pandurilor 7 Street, 9th Floor, Room 910, Cluj-Napoca, Romania