Kick-off meeting within the framework of the HWCA project
On June 6-7, 2023, the first working meeting was held within the framework of the HWCA project “Strengthening Higher Education in the Water Sector to Ensure Climate Resilience and Security in Central Asia - HWCA” at the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, in Bishkek, in which Abdyrov A.M., the First Vice-rector of S. Seifullin KATRU and Meiramova S.A., Director of the Department of International Cooperation took part.
The purpose of the meeting was to exchange information, team-building, and brainstorming in an informal setting. The main part of the meeting was preceded by a high-level introductory session, at which the rector of the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the rector of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Professor Chinara Adamkulova; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, Aibek Moldogaziev; Deputy Minister of Science and Education of the Kyrgyz Republic, Rasul Abazbek; the Head of the EU Delegation to Kyrgyzstan, Marilyn Josephson, as well as the ambassadors of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan delivered a welcoming address.
The main part of the meeting began with a presentation of the goals, work plan, and project implementation schedule by the coordinator, where representatives of EU partner universities: Professor of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Marton Krasznay; Dr. Jenniver Zehring, Associate Professor of Water Management and Diplomacy, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, the Netherlands; Dr. Filippo Menga, Associate Professor of Geography, University of Bergamo, Italy and Dr. Jean-Paul Derouin from the Faculty of Geosciences, University of Reims, Champagne-Ardenne, France, presented their universities and outlined their role in the implementation of the HWCA project.
Representatives of Central Asian universities presented educational programs at their institutions, the capabilities of teaching staff, and the level of English language proficiency of teaching staff and students.
The presentations were followed by informal consultations. All participants confirmed their interest in receiving assistance in all three areas mentioned in the project document: 1) modernization of existing or development of new educational programs on water resources management and water diplomacy; 2) increasing the level of English language proficiency of teaching staff and students; 3) advanced training courses for teaching staff on water resources management and water diplomacy.
The second day of the meeting was devoted to discussing specific tasks related to the implementation of the project. Mr. Zhorobay Aitbaev from the International Cooperation Department of the Diplomatic Academy presented the project's quality assurance plan, offered assistance to partner universities in developing their quality assurance methodology, and invited them to provide regular reports on their work to the project coordinator and manager.
Programme of the kick-off meeting of the Erasmus+ Project “Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE)”
Summary of the HWCA kick-off meeting
