Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- On 10 February, an opening ceremony of the Central Asian University of Environment and Climate Change (Green University) took place in Tashkent region.

The event was attended by IUCN Director General Grethel Aguilar, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan Aziz Abdukhakimov, ministers of environment of Central Asian countries, representatives of international organizations, representatives of local and international media.

Speaking at the opening, Grethel Aguilar emphasized the special role of Green University in solving the environmental problems of the region.

“We congratulate the government of Uzbekistan on the opening of the Central Asian Green University, a major regional initiative that serves to develop environmental leadership and education. This university will help solve the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution. Through environmental education, the university will serve to preserve the region with rich nature,” noted the head of IUCN.

During the event, guests got acquainted with the favorable conditions created at the university. To educate students, classrooms are equipped with modern technologies, a large library, a gym for extracurricular activities and other amenities have been created.

Green University was created in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan from 31 May 2023 “On measures to transform the sphere of ecology and environmental protection and organize the activities of the authorized government body.” Its goal is the effective management of local, regional and global environmental problems, strengthening regional cooperation in the field of ecology and environmental protection, the introduction of innovative ideas, practices and technologies in the realization of scientific and intellectual potential.

The university is a public higher education institution and its activities are organized according to the “Hub and Spoke” principle. This model is based on strategic and mutually beneficial cooperation, the creation of an integrated educational system, optimization of resources, mobility of students and specialists, and also helps to increase the potential of local specialists, exchange of knowledge and experience. Training sessions are conducted in Uzbek, Russian and English using a credit-module system through lectures, laboratory and individual classes, practical work in groups, based on the development of critical thinking, tasks and experiments.

At the undergraduate level, classes are conducted in English and one of the official languages of the United Nations, taking into account the requirements of state educational standards of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Currently, various professors from international universities in the UK, New Zealand, USA and other countries are actively attracted to the university for cooperation.