On June 8, within the Central Asian International Environmental Forum 2018 in Tashkent, the official opening ceremony of the CAREC-TIIAME Innovation and Research Cluster on Water Management will take place. The cluster will join efforts of the Regional Environmental Centre of Central Asia and the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers in the implementation of projects and programs in the field of water and environmental management in Central Asia.
CAREC Executive Director Dr Iskandar Abdullaev explained why the establishment of such centres is relevant for the region: "Over the past 20-25 years, development and education projects have been aimed at solving problems through the attraction of expertise and science from outside. It is time to create points of growth of science inside the region. Innovative clusters are exactly such growth points."
The main goal of the cluster is to contribute to the formation of the human resources base for increasing the effectiveness and sustainability of development projects. The centre will involve students and young specialists in the scientific and project activities, expand access to the world's educational resources, electronic catalogues of advanced scientific literature and databases. "Today, the Central Asian countries face the challenge of a qualitative leap forward in science and production. This jump should be not only economically profitable but also environmentally sustainable, "explained Dr Abdullaev.
Among the objectives of the cluster: the implementation of development projects directly in the university; building skills in strategic project planning, resource mobilization and financial sources; development of critical thinking skills and research. It should be noted that students will also share simple but useful practical skills: negotiating, drafting documentation, writing essays and articles for cited journals.
In general, the work of the centre can be divided into three parts: the transfer of the experience in the implementation of projects, the transfer of the experience in scientific research and capacity development.
It is worth noting that the cluster is different from other existing programs that help increase the capacity of water sector specialists. Because it is aimed specifically at developing a mechanism for working with students. "In the countries of Central Asia, there should be own schools of science, own centres of knowledge. Without this, it is impossible to create a future and overcome new challenges ", commented Dr Abdullaev.
Immediately after the opening CAREC-TIIAME Innovation and Research Cluster will hold the first events. On June 9 the seminar of the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies, IAMO, "Innovative academic research and teaching on water governance and agricultural development in Central Asia" will be held in the cluster. And from 13 to 19 June a seminar of the project "Water in Central Asia", CAWa, "Innovative Tools for Improved Water Management" will take place.