Tbilisi State University Rector, Academician Jaba Samushia, has become the first member of the Georgian Royal Asiatic Society in independent Georgia's history. The Georgian Royal Asiatic Society has been a member of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland since 2023.

The membership pin was presented to the TSU Rector by Georgian Royal Asiatic Society President George Kalandia, while Vice President Tamar Latsabidze presented the membership certificate.

"We didn't think long about who should be the Society's first member. We decided that this person should be the head of the most authoritative organization and, at the same time, someone respected by society. That's why we decided to accept TSU Rector, historian Jaba Samushia, as the Society's first member," stated George Kalandia.

According to TSU Rector Jaba Samushia, it is a great honor and expression of trust that, after decades, he has become the first Georgian scientist to join this society.

"The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland has been conducting interesting research in Oriental studies for over a century. The establishment of this society's representation in Georgia is of great importance, as it will bring Georgian scientists even closer to the global community of scientists. This will contribute to the popularization and development of Kartvelology (Kartvelian studies) and interest foreign scientists in this field. TSU is ready to host the Royal Society's international conference, which will be another bridge between Georgian and world Orientalists."

The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded in 1823 by the renowned English scientist, Orientalist, and Sanskritologist Henry Thomas Colebrooke. In 1824, the Society received a Royal Charter from King George IV for the encouragement and patronage of sciences, literature, and arts related to Asia. The journal is published four times a year by Cambridge University Press. In the past, Royal Society members included Ioane Batonishvili, Ekvtime Takaishvili, and George Tsereteli.

The first Asiatic Society was established in Calcutta in 1784, which later became an associated society (representation) of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Since then, representations have been established in Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea (in 1900), Sri Lanka, and others.

The mission of the Georgian Royal Asiatic Society is to research and promote the discovery of new historical artifacts and monuments, search for and study Asian sources about Georgia, and analyze, translate, and popularize Georgian historical and literary works about Asia.