Presentation at international workshop "Building partnerships for conservation and development in Hindukush–Himalayan region: Exploring complementary opportunities for China's ‘One Belt One Road’ (OBOR) Program & the Hindu Kush – Karakoram – Pamirs Landscape (HKPL) Initiative," held in Lanzhou, Gansu, China, on 2-8 December 2016. Workshop co-hosted by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and Lanzhou University, with financial support from NSF-China. An introduction is given about the University of Central Asia (with its campuses situated in mountain regions in 3 countries: Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan) and opportunities for collaboration in the Tajik Pamir region - and more broadly in mountain areas of greater Central Asia.

1. Dr J Marc Foggin
Lanzhou China, 2 December 2016
Research-for-Development (R4D)
in the ‘Mountains of Central Asia’
The Tajikistan Pamirs & surrounding regions

2. • UCA – A Mountain University in Central Asia
• Partnerships with HKPL and others
• A wide range of opportunities

4. A new, truly Central Asian university
University of Central Asia (UCA) was founded by International Treaty signed in 2000
between the founding states and His Highness the Aga Khan.
UCA is a not-for-profit institution with campuses in three countries.
Republic of Tajikistan Kyrgyz Republic Republic of Kazakhstan

5. “To promote the social and economic
development of Central Asia, particularly
its mountain societies.”
“To provide a world class education with a
Central Asian context to the Kyrgyz Republic,
Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan.”
2016 2017
Launch of TekeliLaunch of Khorog
2019
University of Central Asia – A MOUNTAIN University
Launch of Naryn

6. 6
Globally important mountain ecosystemsUCAterritoryoverlappingwithglobalbiodiversityhotspot

7. UCA’s special development mandate
UCA’s mission is to promote the social and
economic development of Central Asia,
particularly its mountain societies…
And at the same time helping different peoples
of the region to preserve and to draw upon their
rich cultural traditions and heritages as assets
for the future.

8. One university, three countries
Naryn 2016
Khorog
2017
Tekeli 2019

9. • UCA’s campuses will serve as anchors in the region for development-research
MSRI’s Research focuses on several ‘Learning Landscapes’

10. MSRI’s Research focuses on several ‘Learning Landscapes’
• Multiple scales
• Multiple interests
• Multiple boundaries
• Multiple movements
Some landscapes already identified…

11. Three scales for research, monitoring, and learning – in all 3 UCA countries
• …
• Local scale: detailed
investigations of watersheds (soil,
water, air, etc.) and of human-
nature interactions (at level of
single villages) • Meso scale: inquiries into
land cover and land use,
governance processes,
power dynamics, etc. (at
level of 1 or 2 districts)
• Regional scale: studies about
migrations, regional economy,
development policies, etc. (at
provincial level, and extending
internationally with movements)

12. SES Monitoring @ local scale, in close proximity to UCA Naryn
UCA Naryn
Bash-Kaiyndy

13. Bash-Kaiyndy Pilot Site in the project ‘Ecosystem based Adaptation to CC’

14. Novel approaches for community outreach, partnership development
Co-generating knowledge with
communities and other stakeholders
Increasing access to information for
many different development
stakeholders

15. UCA Academic Programmes (Arts & Sciences)
Naryn (2016) Khorog (2018) Tekeli (TBD)
Undergraduate
B.Sc. in Computer
Sciences
B.Sc. in Earth and
Environmental Sciences
B.Sc. in Engineering
Sciences
B.A. in Communications
and Media
B.A. in Economics
B.A. in Business and
Management
Minor – Central Asian
Studies
Minor – Development
Studies
Minor - Globalization
Studies
Programme
Structure
Year 1: Preparatory Year: Math / English / Science
Year 2: Core Programme Summer: Paid Internship
Year 3: Pre-requisite year Summer: Paid Internship
Year 4: Major areas of Study Summer: Paid Internship
Year 5: Major and minor areas of Study
Cooperative Programme – Capstone Projects – Learning Labs – 30% Case Based Curriculum
Two-Campus Experience – Electives – International Expert Visiting Faculty – Preparatory Programme
Hybrid Liberal Arts and Focused Educational Experience

16. HKPL Project with ICIMOD and other partners  focus on Tajik Pamirs

17. Rangeland Assessment
• Descriptions and
conditions
• Level of rangeland use –
by livestock and by wildlife
• Factors influencing their
use (i.e. governance)
Tajikistan Pamir Rangeland Assessment (2016-17)

18. Tajikistan Pamir Rangeland Assessment (2016-17)

19. Yak Husbandry in the Pamir, with similarities to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

20. Opportunities for Collaboration in Tajikistan Pamir
Tajik Pamirs
– Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), Tajikistan
Central Asia is data-poor, with many ‘knowledge gaps’ that still need to be filled.
Joint research would promote a sharing and exchange of resources and knowledge.
General Description
• High and arid rangelands
• Steep valleys to Panj River
• Valuable mountain ecosystem
services, wildlife, PAs, etc.
• Being developed into regional
‘economic corridor’ (must be
more than ‘transport corridor’)
• Ecological and cultural region
across several countries

21. One Belt One Road (OBOR) Project in Central Asia
• 65 million residents in Central Asia
• OBOR already begun, especially with
road network in Kyrg. and Tajikistan
• Trade between China and Central Asia
already ~$50 billion in 2013 (compare
to ~$30 billion with Russia)
• Over 10% of the region’s imports are
from China
• Nearly half of Tajikistan’s external debt
(foreign direct investment) from China
• Smaller countries such asTajikistan and
Kyrgyzstan likely will benefit most from
China’s OBOR project
• OBOR is more than just infrastructure,
also ‘people to people’ ties – including
academic exchanges, joint research,
forums, trainings, and exchange visits

22. Major development research themes and topics relevant for the Pamirs
• Natural resource management, incl. yak
husbandry and rangeland conservation
• Integrated watershed and water
resource management
• Mountain ecosystem services
• Green economy (environ. economics)
• Climate change (CC) & CC adaptation
• Disaster risk reduction & management
• Development of ‘economic corridors’
• Security studies, conflict resolution
• Cultural and traditional practices,
traditional ecological knowledge

23. University of Central Asia welcomes you!
Khorog campus, in the Tajik Pamir region – opening in September 2017

24. Thank you!
marc.foggin@ucentralasia.org
Website: www.ucentralasia.org