CENTER FOR SOCIAL SCIENCES

Their core work

The Center for Social Sciences (CSS) is a Tbilisi-based research organization specializing in the study of post-Soviet societies, with deep expertise in informal economies, business environments, and political dynamics across the Caucasus and Central Asia. They conduct academic research on how informality shapes business and governance in former USSR countries, and more recently on how European integration is perceived and communicated through media in these regions. Their work bridges area studies with practical questions about development, economic transition, and EU-neighborhood relations — making them a valuable knowledge source for anyone operating in or researching this geopolitical space.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

CSS began with a broad development and cooperation lens on the Caspian region (CASPIAN, 2015), then sharpened its focus toward informal economies and shadow business practices in post-Soviet states (SHADOW, 2018; MARKETS, 2020). Most recently, they expanded into media and Europeanization studies with MEDIATIZED EU (2021), their largest funded project. The trajectory shows a move from general area studies toward more politically charged questions about how post-Soviet societies relate to the EU — both economically and through media narratives.

CSS is moving from purely economic informality research toward understanding the political and media dimensions of EU-neighborhood relations, making them increasingly relevant for projects on Eastern Partnership and EU external perception.

How they like to work

CSS operates exclusively as a participant or partner — they have never coordinated an H2020 project. With 33 unique consortium partners across 25 countries, they punch well above their weight for a Georgian organization, indicating they are highly networked and trusted as a regional expert brought into larger European-led consortia. Their participation in both MSCA training networks and research innovation actions suggests they are valued for both their academic expertise and their on-the-ground access to Caucasus/Central Asian research contexts.

Despite being based in Georgia, CSS has built a remarkably wide network of 33 partners across 25 countries — spanning the EU, post-Soviet states, and Central Asia. Their geographic positioning makes them a natural bridge between European research institutions and the Caucasus/Central Asian academic world.

What sets them apart

CSS is one of very few Georgian research organizations with sustained H2020 participation in social sciences, giving them rare credibility as both an EU project partner and a local expert on post-Soviet dynamics. Their combination of academic rigor (MSCA networks) with deep regional knowledge of the Caucasus and Central Asia makes them nearly irreplaceable for any consortium needing genuine on-the-ground insight into these regions. For projects studying EU-neighborhood relations, informal economies, or media narratives in the Eastern Partnership zone, CSS offers something Western European partners simply cannot: embedded local perspective with European research standards.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MEDIATIZED EU
  Their largest single grant (EUR 375,050) and a strategic pivot into media and Europeanization studies — signals a new direction for the organization.
• MARKETS
  Multi-year RIA project (2020-2025) mapping informal barriers in emerging markets — their most applied, business-relevant research with direct implications for companies entering post-Soviet markets.
• SHADOW
  MSCA-RISE project exploring shadow economies across the former USSR — established CSS as a go-to partner for informality research in the region.