The Master's educational program "Water Diplomacy" has been implemented
Al-Farabi Kazakh National University hosted a national consultation meeting between Margulan Ibraimov, Member of the Board and Vice–Rector for Science and Innovation, and a delegation from the International Institute of Water Resources Management for Central Asia (IWMI).
The parties discussed issues of institutional and legal support for the new interdisciplinary Master's degree program "Water Diplomacy".
The rector of the Kazakh National University of Water Management and Irrigation took part in the event Kamshat Tussupova, IWMI Regional Representative for Central Asia Barbara Janusz-Pawletta, as well as experts from the Water Diplomacy project.
Welcoming the guests, the Vice-rector emphasized the strategic importance of personnel training in the field of water resources management, which is in line with the initiatives of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.K. Tokayev, announced at the One Water summit. The head of the university said that KazNU is already actively implementing educational innovations in this area. In particular, admission to the two-year Master's degree program "Water Diplomacy", developed by the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology of the Faculty of Geography and Environmental Management of the University, has begun. According to M.Ibraimov, the program has an interdisciplinary character: it combines hydrology, international relations and law. The training is aimed at a deep understanding of the problems of water resources and ecology and the development of negotiation mechanisms in the field of water use. The Vice-Rector of KazNU also noted that the university has extensive experience in international partnership, being a participant in the Erasmus+ project together with universities in Sweden (Uppsala University) and Hungary, as well as the leading centers of Central Asia.
In her speech, Rector of the Kazakh National University of Water Management and Irrigation Kamshat Tussupova emphasized the importance of consolidating the efforts of specialized universities and international organizations. She noted that joint work on educational programs will create a unique pool of specialists capable of effectively addressing issues of transboundary water use.
The meeting was held within the framework of the Blue Peace Central Asia (BPCA) initiative, implemented by IWMI jointly with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with the support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). Experts noted that the creation of a separate program "Water Diplomacy" and its inclusion in the National Register is a necessary step to ensure regional security.
At the end of the meeting, the participants discussed the possibilities of academic mobility for undergraduates, including internships at the University of Oregon (USA), and expressed confidence that cooperation between KazNU and IWMI will become a solid foundation for the training of highly qualified water diplomats in Central Asia.
Press-service of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
