Central Asia University Partnerships (UniCEN)

📣 The U.S. Embassy in Tashkent and the American Councils for International Education are pleased to announce that the Faculty Enrichment Program (FEP) is now accepting applications for the Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 programs. 📍The FEP provides university instructors from Uzbekistan with the opportunity to enhance their pedagogical skills and professional disciplinary expertise through a four-month U.S. academic enrichment program. ☑️ Eligibility requirements: • A citizen and current resident of Uzbekistan; • A faculty member teaching full-time at a public institution of higher education in Uzbekistan, with at least 2 years of full-time professional experience as a university lecturer; • Proficient in spoken and written English; • Committed to returning to Uzbekistan after the completion of the program; • Able to begin the FEP in the United States in either January or August 2024; • Eligible to receive a U.S. J-1 Exchange Visitor visa. ✅ APPLY HERE ❗️Applications due October 10, 2023 at 11:59pm UZT

For university faculty/administration from Uzbekistan

The Central Asia University Partnerships Program (UniCEN) successfully conducted its inaugural capacity-building workshop in #Tajikistan on June 15 and 16. This training program aimed to bolster the internationalization efforts of Tajik universities and enhance the abilities of Tajik educators to initiate, develop, and execute international collaborative projects. Funded by the U.S. Embassy Tashkent and administered by American Councils for International Education, UniCEN strengthens the capacities of U.S. and Central Asian university administrators and faculty to collaboratively address global challenges. Read more about UniCEN’s capacity-building workshop in Tajikistan at https://www.americancouncils.org/news/featured-content-announcements/unicen-hosts-internationalization-and-capacity-building #ACGlobal #UniCEN #internationaldevelopment #AmericanCouncils #highereducation #QualityEducation #internationalization #internationaleducation #partnerships

📈UniCEN workshop on Research Methodology in Samarkand 📝The American Councils for International Education in Uzbekistan organized a two-day workshop in Samarkand from 1 to 2 May 2023. 📚More than 40 faculty staff from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan met to work on Research Methodology and draft country, and regional roadmaps for strengthening university teacher training to improve the quality of academic research in the region. 🎯The workshop aimed to develop a comprehensive and regional approach to enhance the research capacity of Central Asian faculty members and increase the number of joint U.S.-Central Asian publications submitted to international journals. 📌Mr. Harris Lipsсomb and Ms. Saida Musakhanova, representatives of the Public Diplomacy Section, US Embassy in Tashkent, participated in this event. They offered their assurance that the international cooperation built during this workshop would last for a long time. 🔸https://unicen.americancouncils.org/

UniCEN workshop on Advance Research Methodology in Tashkent. April 27-28, 2023

📝Two-day UniCEN workshop on Advanced Research Methodology 📌Participants have just concluded a two-day UniCEN workshop in Tashkent, Uzbekistan after having completed a series of sessions aimed at enhancing the research capacity of Central Asian faculty members. ✅More than 40 delegates from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, gathered in Tashkent from 27 to 28 April 2023 to exchange information and best practices on topics such as Global Collaborative Research and Research Proposal Structure to increase the number of joint U.S.-Central Asian publications. ❗️At the end of the workshop participants set out a series of recommendations and priorities to promote interdisciplinary academic and regional cooperation across Central Asia. 🤝Among the priorities agreed on are concerted efforts to improve the quality of academic research through joint publications and projects. 🔸The UniCEN Program is administered by American Councils and supported by the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent. For more information visit https://unicen.americancouncils.org/

✅UniCEN Research Methodology Workshop in Uzbekistan 📌Today, on April 26, 2023, we gave to start a two-part workshop comprised of a two-day event in Tashkent, followed by a two-day workshop in Samarkand. 🔸UniCEN hosts national, international, and U.S. university academic research and writing experts to hold two back-to-back Research Methodology Workshops in Tashkent and Samarkand for two distinct audiences of Central Asian scholars and researchers. 🔖Meet our experts: Dr. Jay Turner primarily focuses on air quality characterization with emphasis on field measurements, lab analysis and data analysis to support air quality. Dr. Hamid Reza Shahbazkia is an experienced computer scientist and educator with a passion for advancing the field of computer science. Professor Khanjan Mehta champions the creation of integrated learning, research, and entrepreneurial engagement ecosystems. And our National Consultant - Dr. Rauf Salakhodjaev conducts interdisciplinary research in the area of social sciences.

📝UniCEN Workshops on Research Methodology 🗞Methodology refers to the overarching strategy and rationale of the research project. It involves studying the methods used in the academic field and the theories or principles behind them, in order to develop an approach that matches planned objectives. ✅We are glad to inform you, that we have received more than 550 applications for our next UniCEN Workshops on Research Methodology which will take place in Tashkent (27-28 April 2023) and Samarkand (1-2 May, 2023). The call for applications for both events now is CLOSED. 📌During the workshops, participants will find out how a researcher systematically designs a study to ensure valid and reliable results that address the research aims and objectives. 🔸The UniCEN Program is administered by American Councils and supported by the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent. For more information visit https://unicen.americancouncils.org/

🎯In March, the UniCEN (Central Asia University Partnerships Program) Internationalization Workshop was successfully completed in the Kyrgyz Republic. 📌Over 40 university representatives from Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan came together to learn about student mobility, academic mobility, credit systems transfer, development of international education offices, enhancing international student and faculty recruitment, and more. 🔸U.S. experts shared insights about the American higher education system, while American Councils provided practical tips for engaging with U.S. universities. 🗞UniCEN is a platform to create sustainable ties and increase opportunities for collaboration between U.S. and Central Asian higher education institutions. ✅Learn more about the UniCEN Internationalization Workshop here

🔖UniCEN: The more we share, the more we have! ✅On March 24th and 25th, American Councils organized the UniCEN Workshop on internationalization in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. 🎯After participating in the workshop, Anvar Karimov - a faculty member of Samarkand Institute of Economics and Service organized an informational seminar to share what he learned. 🗞During the seminar, he shared information about the COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) and EDGE (Experiential Digital Global Engagement) programs. He also shared strategies for integrating culture and global learning into the teaching process. 🔸Anvar says: “The important thing I learned from the Bishkek workshop is the crucial point is not to obtain new facts but to discover new ways of thinking, and the great aim of education is not knowledge but action. So, I hope using the skills I obtained during the workshop we can enhance our activity in internationalization.” 📍For more information visit https://unicen.americancouncils.org/

🤝UniCEN: a positive relationship and mutual trust through internationalization ✅In Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan the next workshop on Internationalization in Higher Education, organized by American Councils, is just getting started. ❗️During the next few days, on March 24-25, 2023, representatives of Central Asian universities will discuss the importance of internationalization for higher education, its key trends, benefits etc. 🎯Feruza Khajieva, faculty staff of Bukhara State University and the FEP (Faculty enrichment program) alumna, is one of the 10 participants from Uzbekistan HEIs. She says “Internationalization is part of the global knowledge economy. I believe that the workshop will provide us with the necessary tools and knowledge to enhance institutional strengths through strategic partnerships”. 🔸We wish a very productive workshop with exciting and encouraging discussions and exchange of knowledge! 🔖For more information visit https://unicen.americancouncils.org/

🎯UniCEN Online meeting: setting new goals 📌On March 13th, American Councils Tashkent hosted a meeting for participants of next UniCEN Internationalization workshop – to be hosted in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on March 24th and 25th, 2023. ❗️Universities participating in the event included: •Bukhara State University •Samarkand State Institute of Foreign languages •Namangan State university •Shakhrisabz State Pedagogical Institute •Fergana Polytechnic Institute •Nukus State Pedagogical Institute •Kokand State Pedagogical Institute •Shakhrisabz branch of Tashkent Chemical Technological Institute •Samarkand Institute of Economics and Service •Urganch branch of Tashkent Medical Academy ✅The workshop is designed to help build capacity for substantive international engagement between higher education institutions in the United States and Central Asia – a key goal of the UniCEN program. 📝For more information visit https://unicen.americancouncils.org/

🏆“Collaboration Makes Us Better” 📌Over the past year, Washington State University (WSU), Urgench State University (UrSU), and Kostanay Regional University worked on the joint UniCEN Project “STEM Environmental Technologies Courses for Investigation of Water Flow in the Aral Sea Basin.” ✅In order to ensure the sustainability of the project, Dr. Gayrat Urazboev from UrSU and Dr. Sergey Lapin from WSU held a series of Zoom calls to discuss a planned student exchange during the summer of 2023. They also planned for a short course focused on the “Finite Element Method” to be taught during the spring of 2023 by Dr. Lapin to students of UrSU online. 🔸Having secured funding for research-related travel from WSU, Dr. Lapin plans to visit UrSU later this year. It is also planned to organize a student exchange program between Urgench State and Washington State. 🔖Washington State and Urgench State believe that individual commitment to a group effort is what has ensured the success of their partnership.

❗️UniCEN: Cooperation Begins by Building Trust ✅In November 2022, the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan (APAPRT) held an international conference on "Local Self-government in the Republic of Tajikistan: Theory, Practice and Development Prospects.” Narxoz University – a UniCEN partner of APART from Kazakhstan – was invited to take part in the conference. 📌During the conference, the UniCEN partners signed a memorandum of understanding to extend their collaboration beyond their UniCEN project – which was focused on sustainable development in Central Asia. 🔖Both partners are optimistic about future partnerships and prospects related to internationalization efforts. They report that the collaboration which began during UniCEN gave them the ability to work together on a common vision, common organizational objectives, and common accomplishments. 🔸The UniCEN Program is administered by American Councils and supported by the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent.

🎯Building Sustainability in STEM through UniCEN Exchanges 🔸“Sharing knowledge occurs when people are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action; it is about creating learning processes,” says Akmal Safarov. 👨🏻‍🏫Akmal is an Associate Professor of the Samarkand State University’s Institute of Engineering Physics (IEP). Through UniCEN project Akmal worked with Professor Michael Short from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on collecting, processing, and analyzing information about radiation, pressure, gravity, and air composition. 🔖Akmal uses his experience, gained during the UniCEN project, to mentor students. One of his students, Nafisa Rahmonova, works on her UniSat project and studies electronics, programming, and 3D modeling under Akmal’s supervision. She uses one of the UniCEN-acquired 3D printers, which is housed in the Nuclear Physics and Astronomy Laboratory of IEP, as a key component of her studies.🔸

🎯Building Sustainability in STEM through UniCEN Exchanges 🔸“Sharing knowledge occurs when people are genuinely interested in helping one another develop new capacities for action; it is about creating learning processes,” says Akmal Safarov. 👨🏻‍🏫Akmal is an Associate Professor of the Samarkand State University’s Institute of Engineering Physics (IEP). Through UniCEN project Akmal worked with Professor Michael Short from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on collecting, processing, and analyzing information about radiation, pressure, gravity, and air composition. 🔖Akmal uses his experience, gained during the UniCEN project, to mentor students. One of his students, Nafisa Rahmonova, works on her UniSat project and studies electronics, programming, and 3D modeling under Akmal’s supervision. She uses one of the UniCEN-acquired 3D printers, which is housed in the Nuclear Physics and Astronomy Laboratory of IEP, as a key component of her studies.🔸

🤝Networking is not about just connecting people. It's about connecting people with people, people with ideas, and people with opportunities ✅In December 2022, American Councils facilitated a Central Asian Universities Virtual Meetup for UniCEN partners to exchange ideas and plan future collaboration. 🖥Partners discussed progress, challenges, and sustainability efforts related to their current UniCEN projects. 🧭Virtual meetup also included presentations from two university partnerships projects: • “Collaboration for Enhanced Entrepreneurship Support” – presented by Tajik State University. • “Collaboration for the Development of Institutional Capacity for Employment, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation to Promote Sustained, Inclusive Economic Growth and Decent Work for All” by Andijan Machine Building Institute. For more information visit https://unicen.americancouncils.org/