Organizers: USAID Regional Water and Environment Project and the Blue Peace Initiative in Central Asia, with the support of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC).
Context:
The Academic Community Network (ACN) has been active since 2013 with the support of development partners such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the European Union (EU), and the World Bank (WB), operating on the platform of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC).
In addition to regular regional meetings, the ACN is supported by an online platform (https://www.riverbp.net/community_of_practice/profile/about/), which provides a space for knowledge sharing, hosting educational and scientific materials, and building an expert database in water resources, environmental protection, climate change, and related fields.
During its operation, the Network has achieved significant results, including:
- Signing memoranda of cooperation between universities
- Standardizing educational programs through the introduction of academic modules
- Building faculty capacity through train-the-trainer programs
However, the Network’s activities have been funded entirely through donor projects. It is now necessary to formalize the ACN to ensure sustainable development and improve operational efficiency. The completion of the ACN formalization process and the development of the platform for academic and scientific collaboration are on the agenda of the upcoming meeting.
Objectives of the ACN meeting:
- Finalize and approve the ACN Charter
- Discuss opportunities for collaboration with scientific organizations
- Present new academic-oriented projects
- Prepare for the ACN session at the International Conference “Water for Sustainable Development” in Dushanbe
Expected participants:
- Representatives of Central Asian universities – ACN members, representatives of European universities
- Team of the USAID Regional Water and Environment Project
- Representatives of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)
- Representatives of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ)
- CAREC team