Joni Apakidze was born on 11.06.1960. He started working at the University of Abkhazia in 1983. In 1989, Joni Apakidze defended the Candidate dissertation in History. Since 1989 he is an Associate Professor and since 2002 – as a Doctor of History. In 2004, Joni Apakidze was elected a Professor, in 2006 - a Full Professor.    
Joni Apakidze was a Fellow of German Academic Exchange Service,  Fellow of German Institute of Archaeology (1996, 2007), Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation Fellowship Research Award winner (1998-1999, 2003, 2006 - three times). He carried out educational and scientific activities at the Free University of Berlin, at the University of Tubingen and at the Institute of Archaeology of Germany. During five years, he participated in the Troia International Archaeological Excavations. Presently Joni Apakidze is a Secretary General of Humboldt Club in Georgia, Corresponding Member of Institute of Archaeology of Germany, also a member of European Association of Archaeologists. In 2005 Joni Apakidze together with the members of Humboldt Club from 12 countries, organized a symposium “The South Caucasus on its way to the European Integration” and in 2007 - together with the archaeologists from the Black Sea countries and German Humboldt Club - a symposium “The Black Sea Basin in 5000-500 B.C: Communication between Caucasus and Carpathians.
Main directions of research activities are the following:
1) Bronze and Early Iron Age Cultures of Caucasus, 2) Chronology in Archaeology, 3) Archaeology of Colchis, 4) Archaeology, History and Culture of Troia.
From September 2007 to May 2009, Joni Apakidze was an Acting Rector of the Sokhumi University.
On May 21, 2009, Joni Apakidze was elected a Rector of Sokhumi State University.
He has published 62 scientific works, most of them in the universally recognized international editions.

For further information about Joni Apakidze please, follow the links:

http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/cms/678850.html           -      German version         Georgian version

New Archaeological Excavations in Troia

Report of the Secretary General of the Humboldt-Club in Georgia (Istanbul)

International Co-operative Projects in Georgia in the Field of Archaeology