Nikoloz Beruchashvili

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Nikoloz Beruchashvili (Niko) was a Georgian geographer and cartographer born on August 21, 1947, in Tbilisi. He defended his Doctor of Geographical Sciences in 1981 at Moscow State University and became a professor in 1983. He graduated from Tbilisi State University in 1970.

He headed the Cartography and Geoinformatics department at Tbilisi State University from 1982 to 2006 and led the Scientific-Research Lab studying environmental states with aerospace methods from 1979 to 2006. He also led the Physical-Geographical Station of Martqopi from 1970 until his death. From 1995 to 2000, he taught at a Soros Foundation program. In 2004 he founded and chaired the International Geographical Union Commission on Landscape Analysis, serving as chair there from 2004 to 2006. He introduced the term "STEX" in landscape science.

Beruchashvili co-authored the Geopolitical Atlas of the Caucasus with Jean Radvanyi, with editions in French and Georgian. He published over 220 scientific works, including 28 monographs, and supervised 25 postgraduate theses and advised 3 doctoral theses. He visited and worked in about 60 countries. He was awarded the Order of Honor twice, in 2000 and 2003. His work advanced landscape studies, including a theory of spatial-time analysis and synthesis used by universities around the world. He passed away on March 23, 2006, in Tbilisi.