On April 12, 2016, five lecturers from the Georgian Technical University began a hunger strike in the lobby of the university’s administrative building. They demanded the resignation of Rector Archil Frangishvili and the head of the administration, as well as the dissolution of the academic council. According to the protesters, both officials were holding their positions illegally and failing to fulfill their responsibilities. Frangishvili had been re-elected for a third term as rector by the academic council on January 18, which the lecturers considered a violation of the law, since the same person could be elected for only two consecutive terms.

Before starting the hunger strike, the lecturers had appealed to the Ministry of Education, government representatives, and the Public Defender. They had also filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the rector’s third-term election, but the court had not yet reviewed the case. The lecturers stated that the university was in deep crisis — both academically and in terms of resource management.

The head of the university administration, Ketevan Kokrashvili, denied allegations of pressure on professors. She told journalists that the election had been conducted lawfully and that Archil Frangishvili legitimately held the rector’s position.

Minister of Education Tamar Sanikidze also claimed that an internal review had shown the university was allowed to conduct the elections as it did. However, the NGO Transparency International – Georgia supported the protesters’ position, arguing that electing a university head for three consecutive terms violated Georgia’s Law on Higher Education, and that Frangishvili’s continued leadership was therefore illegitimate.

On April 21, lecturers, students, and NGO representatives — including The Voice of the People and The Association of Young Human Rights Defenders — held a protest in front of the Ministry of Education. Demonstrators cited poor conditions at the university: unheated classrooms in winter, lack of hygiene, and dust that had even caused an asthma attack in one student. They also claimed that Student Government members interfered in the grading system by altering marks given by lecturers, while the administration ignored these violations. Protesters further alleged that multiple “odieri” (State Security Service informants) operated within the university and exerted pressure on students.

The lecturers ended their hunger strike on April 24, following an appeal from the clergy ahead of the Easter holidays. However, they resumed their protest on September 22 with the same demands. At that time, only two people — one current and one former employee — continued the hunger strike. A few students also joined but later withdrew due to health concerns and at the urging of the lecturers.

Ultimately, the protest did not achieve its goals. Archil Frangishvili remained in his position as rector.