event 04 Apr 2022

Nexus Regional Dialogue Central Asia // EU supports integration of water-energy-food Nexus approach into educational curricula in Uzbekistan

TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN – The European Union (EU) funded project "Nexus Dialogue in Central Asia" conducted the third training on 17-18 March in Tashkent as part of the series of training sessions on the application of the water-energy-food (WEF) Nexus approach through an interactive Nexus Simulation for faculty staff at the leading universities and civil service academies in Central Asia. The training was organized jointly with the USAID Regional Water and Vulnerable Environment Activity.

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During the last meeting of the Central Asian Network of Academic Societies (NAS) in October 2021, representatives of the leading universities in the region expressed great interest in integrating the WEF Nexus approach into the curricula for teaching future professionals in water, energy, agricultural and environmental sectors.

As a first step in this direction, 18 faculty staff from institutes for upgrading the qualifications of civil servants and universities that train WEF specialists in Uzbekistan learnt about the Nexus approach in the format of an interactive simulation. It represents a facilitated process of playing five different scenarios on the management of water, energy and food resources between upstream and downstream countries. Upon receiving the necessary training materials and participating in the practical simulation process itself, the faculty staff members were able to conduct subsequent Nexus Simulation workshops for undergraduate and graduate students at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

“Our Master's programs are for incumbent civil servants in the Republic of Uzbekistan. The Nexus Simulation allows them to try on the roles of Ministers of Agriculture, Energy and Water Resources to better understand and research the trade-offs between the water, energy and food sectors. This training will help them make optimal decisions in real life," noted Dilshod Yakubov, Head of the Internship Department, Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Based on the outcomes of the two-day training sessions, the Nexus Simulation will become a practical supplement to the educational modules of the Bachelor's and Master's degree programmes at the following educational institutions: Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, “Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers” National Research University and Tashkent State Agrarian University.

The EU-funded project "Nexus Dialogue in Central Asia" is implemented by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC). The project’s duration: June 2020 – May 2023; total budget: EUR 1.25 million with the EU’s contribution of EUR 1 million.

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The second phase (2020-2023) of the European Union project "Central Asian Dialogue to Promote Sectoral Financing through the Water-Energy-Food Nexus" is a continuation of the first phase (2016-2019) and is being implemented by the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC). The project’s duration: June 2020 – May 2023; total budget: EUR 1.25 million with the EU’s contribution of EUR 1 million. The project is a part of the global Nexus Dialogue Programme, which is supported by the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in five regions.

This article was first published on the CAREC website on March 18, 2022.

Development

The game was developed by the Centre for Systems Solutions in collaboration with the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and the Sustainable Energy for All initiative.

More Information about the Nexus Game

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