HSE and Karakalpak State University Agree on Cooperation
HSE University and Berdakh Karakalpak State University have signed a cooperation agreement to strengthen collaboration in research, education, and innovation. Through the expertise of its Сentre of Digital Technologies for Nature-Based Solutions of the Carbon Measurement Supersites Programme, HSE University will work with colleagues from Uzbekistan to assess climate risks and evaluate opportunities for implementing nature-based climate projects in the region. The partners also plan to develop joint research and educational programmes.
The researchers intend to focus their joint efforts on assessing the potential for implementing nature-based climate projects in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, including initiatives on the dried-up bed of the Aral Sea.
‘We will pay particular attention to improving the resilience of agricultural land through climate change adaptation programmes, as well as carrying out comprehensive assessments of climate risks. Another key aspect of our partnership will be academic exchange programmes for faculty members and students, the development of joint programmes in geoinformation research, and participation in research competitions and Russian–Uzbekistani cooperation initiatives,’ said Nikolay Kurichev, Dean of the HSE Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technologies.
‘For our university, this is an important step towards expanding the use of advanced climate research. We will combine our unique regional expertise on the Aral Sea with HSE University's digital capabilities to develop practical solutions for the environmental challenges of the Aral Sea region and train a new generation of specialists,’ said Berdiyar Jollibekov, Rector of Berdakh Karakalpak State University.
During the visit, the delegation from the HSE Сentre of Digital Technologies for Nature-Based Solutions of the Carbon Measurement Supersites Programme visited Berdakh Karakalpak State University and met with representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The delegation also held a separate meeting with Leyli Seitova, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection, and Climate Change of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. The delegation visited the dried-up bed of the Aral Sea in the Adzhibay Bay area and near Cape Aktumsyk on the Ustyurt Plateau, where they learned about the work of the International Innovation Centre for the Aral Sea Basin, a potential site for establishing a mirror carbon testing ground.
The planned areas of scientific cooperation include:
assessing the potential for implementing nature-based climate projects in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, including projects on the dried-up bed of the Aral Sea
improving the resilience of agricultural land through climate change adaptation programmes
assessing climate risks associated with climate change in the region
academic exchange programmes for faculty members and students
joint programmes in geoinformation research
joint participation in research competitions and Russian–Uzbekistani cooperation programmes.
Berdakh Karakalpak State University is the leading higher education institution in the Republic of Karakalpakstan (Uzbekistan). Located in the city of Nukus, it was established in 1976 at the Karakalpak State Pedagogical Institute. Today, it is the region’s largest educational and research centre.
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