Professor Jeffrey LAZARUS: “EU citizens receive excellent and usually free healthcare, but it's very unstandardized”

31.03.2025. (Caucasian Journal)  Healthcare, a subject of a pressing public concern, has been underrepresented in the Caucasian Journal. Today, we address this by interviewing Jeffrey LAZARUS, Professor of Global Health at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and the Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York (CUNY SPH), whose career bridges Europe and North America. 

As Georgia navigates its European aspirations, we discuss the potential benefits of various healthcare systems and what joining the EU could mean for the health and well-being of the Georgian people.

▶ ქართულად: The Georgian version is here.

Alexander KAFFKA, editor-in-chief of Caucasian Journal: Dear Jeff [if I may], welcome to Caucasian Journal and thank you for your attention to our readers. If you were the main decision-maker responsible for the healthcare sector in an EU candidate country like Georgia, what future strategy would you choose? Would you adopt an existing model from another EU country, combine several models, or create a new one from scratch?

Jeffrey LAZARUS: My main message would be to focus on having a strong primary care system with a gatekeeper system of general practitioners or family doctors and then a strong network of specialists. General practitioners should be in the community, easy to access, and - something the EU is not so good at - there should also be easier telehealth like video access for consultation, so one does not always have to go to an office to see their primary care provider. 

Lasha BREGVADZE: "The Georgian criminal subculture originated from people dedicated to the liberation of their country"

23.03.2025 (Caucasian Journal). Today we are discussing quite a critical theme – the problem of organized crime – with one of the best experts in this field, Dr. Lasha BREGVADZE, the Head of the Organized Crime and Law Enforcement Research Center at Georgian Strategic Analysis Center. 

Alexander KAFFKA, editor-in-chief of Caucasian Journal:  Dear Lasha, thank you for your time. Organized crime is a troubling issue, but that should not deter us from addressing it. On the contrary, we must do so. International media reports frequently highlight Georgian involvement, we hear about deportations, and other related matters. I hope you will shed light on these topics for our readers. To start, I have a question: How did you become so deeply invested in this subject, leading to your dissertation?

Lasha BREGVADZE:  I was only 22 years old during the Rose Revolution of 2003.  That's when I was integrated into the law enforcement agencies. It was a tough time for Georgia. I was initially appointed as an investigator for special cases at the Ministry of Security, which was the name of the organization at the time. Later, I was transferred to the General Inspectorate of the Ministry of Justice, where I took on the role of Head of the Financial Audit Division.

Maestro Usui TOSHIKI: "I am absorbing the beautiful sounds from Georgia like oxygen"

19.03.2025 (Caucasian Journal). The Caucasian Journal is honored to welcome Maestro Usui TOSHIKI, an internationally acclaimed Japanese pianist often described as a "cultural bridge" between Japan and Georgia. Beyond his virtuosic performances, Usui serves as general manager of the Yokohama and Omi Sinfoniettas.

Alexander KAFFKA, editor-in-chief of Caucasian Journal:  Dear Usui-san, welcome to Caucasian Journal. First of all, I must say that I attended your performance in Tbilisi last year and became your fan. Thank you for your art! I was intrigued, however, to learn you are an honorary citizen of Sighnaghi, a small but extremely picturesque town in Eastern Georgia. Can you share the story behind this connection, to start our conversation?

Usui TOSHIKI: Thank you very much. It has been almost 10 years since I first visited Georgia. During my second visit, I went to the city of Sighnaghi. My first impression of it was that it was a perfect city, with traditional architecture, rich nature, and wonderful wine and food. Since then, every time I visit Georgia, I have had wonderful times visiting many wineries in Sighnaghi and holding concerts.