Good afternoon, Aigerim Nuralievna! Please tell us about yourself and your academic activities within the Academic Community Network.

Good afternoon! My name is Aigerim Ospanova, and I am the head of the Department of Regional Studies at L.N. Gumilyov ENU. I have a PhD and am engaged in research related to Central Asia and international relations. Within the ACS, I hold round tables, interact with other scientists, actively use the Community of Practitioners platform, and participate in NAS events.

I also developed and implemented the course ‘Water Issues in Central Asia’ for master's students majoring in Regional Studies. This course focuses on key aspects of water resource management in the context of international cooperation and sustainable development in the region. It enables students to acquire the practical skills and theoretical knowledge necessary to analyse and solve current water diplomacy issues in Central Asia.

It should also be emphasised that we have published at least 10 publications on water-related topics to date. These publications cover a wide range of issues related to water resource management and make a significant contribution to the development of scientific knowledge and practical solutions in this field.

As for the Nexus game, we use it regularly in our classes. It is a very useful and necessary tool for understanding the interdependence of sectors, which helps not only to broaden students' horizons, but also to improve their strategic thinking. I also introduced this game to the international law department of our university and conducted training for them. Now they run it on their own. As far as I know, the Regional Environmental Centre and the USAID Regional Water and Environment Project have donated a complete set of game materials to the Department of International Law.

What joint projects or collaborative efforts with other universities have you undertaken? What results have they yielded?

The period covering my collaboration and interaction with the academic community within the NAS has been marked by a large number of different events, including round tables, guest lectures, teleconferences and much more. These events have helped us to strengthen inter-university cooperation, exchange experience and knowledge with other universities in Central Asia, and introduce issues of sustainable development and water, energy and food security into the educational process.

A huge number of new innovative topics related to water have been introduced into master's and doctoral programmes. These topics help students develop a deep understanding of contemporary challenges in water resource management and develop effective strategies to address them.

It should be emphasised that, as part of our cooperation with the Academy of Public Administration (APA) under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, we held an academic exchange of students in 2023. Nine AGU students went to ENU on an educational exchange programme in the fields of international law, international relations and regional studies.

Currently, we are in negotiations with the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Department of International Law at L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University regarding the launch of a joint master's programme in international law. This is a two-year educational programme, upon completion of which graduates receive two state-recognised diplomas – from the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Tajikistan. We believe that this educational programme is very relevant and will be in demand among students.

We plan to continue our active cooperation with the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan. As part of our cooperation, we have held a large number of meetings, guest lectures and round tables involving doctoral students from the department who have conducted research on food and water security. We also prepared a large study, which will be published in the international journal Scopus in the future.

I would like to highlight the teleconference that took place in 2023 between ENU, ASU and Fergana State University. At this meeting, participants shared their experience of teaching and supervising postgraduate students in the field of water diplomacy.

Please tell us more about your expert activities aimed at promoting the Community of Practice, improving cooperation and networking between universities.

As an expert in promoting the Community of Practice, I actively promote the NAS and the Community of Practice platform among the academic community of Central Asia and young people. I give guest lectures, various seminars and hold meetings to strengthen cooperation with other universities in Central Asia. By talking about the platform, I increase the interest of students, master's and doctoral students in this tool. As a result of my activities, more than 50 people have registered on the platform and are using its resources.

In addition, thanks to the active promotion of the platform and interaction with members of the academic community, it has been possible to create a strong network of like-minded people interested in jointly solving pressing issues in the region. Regular use of the platform's resources contributes to the exchange of knowledge, the development of scientific cooperation and the introduction of innovative approaches to educational and research processes.

What challenges have you encountered in promoting the Community of Practice?

The challenge is that it is very difficult to find experts from government agencies. There are no issues with experts from the academic community in Central Asia; they are very active. However, government agencies are very closed, and there is little detailed information on the websites of ministries about people we could involve in the Community of Practice.

Share your opinion on what needs to be done to develop academic cooperation in Central Asia. What role do the NAS and the Community of Practice play in this process?

In principle, all activities carried out within the framework of the NAS and the Community of Practitioners make a huge contribution. Even in our small department, a whole new field of research is developing on water issues in Central Asia, water, energy and food security.

It would be very useful if the academic community of Central Asian countries themselves initiated and conducted events. This would not only strengthen cooperation between universities in the region, but also form a sustainable platform for the exchange of experience, joint research and the training of highly qualified specialists capable of addressing complex issues of sustainable development in Central Asia.

As another recommendation, I would like to add that it is important to develop a unified scientific and practical technical task within the framework of the NAS and the Community of Practitioners, which will help us conduct our research. As a result, we could create not only a publication, but also a kind of knowledge product that could be distributed throughout Central Asia.

What are the challenges and prospects for the development of the NAS and the Community of Practice?

Some members of the NAS and the Community of Practice participate in official off-site events, but it is difficult to contact them after the events are over. The same people participate in online meetings within the Network, and there are not that many of them. This indicates the need to actively attract new participants and strengthen the motivation of existing members to participate more actively in the activities of the NAS and the Community of Practitioners. An important step could be the development of a system of incentives, such as recognition of their contribution, expansion of opportunities for professional growth, and the introduction of new formats for interaction that will make participation more convenient and attractive.

In conclusion, I would like to note that the NAS and the Community of Practitioners represent a unique platform for interaction, knowledge sharing and addressing key issues in the region. However, in order to achieve maximum effectiveness, it is important to continue working to involve new participants, strengthen network connections and increase the activity of all members. Only through the joint efforts of the academic community, young professionals and experts can we unlock the full potential of these initiatives and make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of Central Asia.

Thank you very much, Aigerim Nuralievna!

Brief information

Since 2013, the Central Asian Network of Academic Societies (NAS) has been operating in Central Asia, established by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC). The NAS promotes interaction and knowledge sharing among representatives of educational institutions involved in environmental management and water, land and energy resources in the context of climate change. The network is currently supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of the USAID Regional Water and Environment Project.