From August 5 to 17, 2024, the University of World Economy and Diplomacy (UWED), as part of the Erasmus+ HWCA project "Strengthening Higher Education in the Water Sector for Climate Resilience and Security in Central Asia," hosted a comprehensive training on water diplomacy for university professors and a summer school for young researchers (master’s and doctoral students). This initiative was financially supported by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Commission and CAREC.

   The event was organized in collaboration with the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Mechanisation of Agriculture, the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, and the Kazakh-German University. The hybrid-format programme engaged leading international and national experts, consultants, and practitioners in water diplomacy.

  The training aimed to deepen participants’ knowledge and skills in water diplomacy, foster the exchange of international best practices, and strengthen cooperation among stakeholders to promote sustainable and integrated water resources management in Central Asia. A key focus was placed on analysing, comparing, and synthesizing international approaches to water governance and climate resilience, with special attention to adapting European and Central Asian models.

  Participants collaboratively developed a set of policy recommendations and international best practices based on these comparative insights, intended to guide regional efforts in integrated water resource management. The Erasmus+ HWCA project supports partner universities in building capacity to educate a new generation of decision-makers and water diplomats capable of addressing climate-related and security challenges.

  The joint outputs, including training modules, best practice frameworks, and policy briefs, are actively disseminated across the consortium and among policy stakeholders in Central Asia and Europe. Through this initiative, UWED reinforces its institutional leadership in the development of international best practices for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

  The HWCA project consortium includes 16 universities. Of these, 12 are universities from Central Asian countries - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, and 4 are universities from Europe.