The Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University  is the higher educational university in Batumi, capital of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara. Georgia. It is named after the medieval Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli.

The establishment and development of the educational system in Adjara was a long-time endeavor of the Georgian community. In 1893 the issue was raised to open a Boys’ Gymnasium in Batumi. On 26–27 June 1893 the Municipality of the city granted 2 623, 95 sq/m area of land for the Boys’ Gymnasium at the seaside. The project was designed by a military engineer Sedelnikov. The first floor of the building allocated a gym while the second floor contained the church, assembly hall, eight classrooms, art classroom, physics study-room, laboratory and a library. The Boys’ Gymnasium started functioning in July, 1897. On 26 September 1900 it became possible to open a Women’s Gymnasium as well. Later, by 1923, a Pedagogical Institute was founded in the building of former Women’s Gymnasium (present Public School No.2) which afterwards turned into a Pedagogical College. It used to prepare the first stage school teachers.

In June 1945 a Pedagogical Institute was founded on the basis of Batumi Teachers’ Institute that was followed by reconstruction process and improvement of the facilities and equipment. In 1956 the renovated building entered into exploitation. However, it was not sufficient for the growth of the Institute and in 1977 the construction of a new 5-storeyed building began that was finished in 1982. The collapse of the Soviet Empire and Georgia’s fight for independence made it possible to realize the wish of great Ivane Javakhishvili who said: “If there is to be another university in Georgia, it should be in Batumi.”

By the Decision No.453, 3 September 1990 of the Cabinet of Ministries of Georgia Batumi State University was established on the basis of Batumi Pedagogical Institute. After this transformation apart from special faculty chairs there began functioning 9 university chairs at the higher education institution. The number of specialties increased – the faculties of law, economics and medicine were created. As a result of the educational reform in the country the university was transferred to a two-cycle teaching: Bachelor and Master Levels were created. Post-graduate studies also were functioning for certain specialties.