Sustainable Land Management and Ecology: Results of the LESLIE Project International Meeting in Almaty

On December 4–5, 2025, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) hosted a key working meeting within the framework of the international Erasmus+ project LESLIE (Land management, Environment & SoLId-WastE: inside education and business in Central Asia). The meeting brought together experts from the European Union, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan to discuss the progress and implementation of innovative educational programs in Central Asia.

The LESLIE project is aimed at modernizing higher education in the fields of land management, environmental protection, and solid waste management. The project is coordinated by the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV, Spain).

Representatives from leading universities and organizations participated in the meeting:

• EU: Universities of Valencia (Spain), Cassino (Italy), and Cyprus.

• Kazakhstan: Al-Farabi KazNU (national coordinator), Sh. Ualikhanov Kokshetau University, H.A. Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC), and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

• Uzbekistan: Fergana Polytechnic Institute (national coordinator), TIIAME National Research University, Bukhara State University, and others.

The central theme of the meeting was the development of the Micro-credentials system. Participants discussed the Kazakhstani experience and international standards for integrating such programs into the educational process.

• The LESLIE micro-credential template was presented and approved, including competency identification, assessment methods, and Quality Assurance (QA) standards.

• A list of topics for the course catalogue was formed, including climate change, water resource management, circular economy, and environmental risks.

The event concluded with a tour of the KazNU campus, symbolizing the strengthening of partnership ties between the universities.

The LESLIE project (101129032) is implemented with the support of the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union.