On June 18, 2024, the official opening of the IX International Summer School (hereinafter ISS) “Protection of Water and Forest Resources” took place at the Kazakh Agro-Technical Research University. The school is dedicated to the EU Erasmus+ “Strengthening Higher Education in the Water Sector for Climate Resilience and Security in Central Asia” (HWCA) project.

The welcome speeches were delivered by K. M. Tireuov, Chairman of the Board of S. Seifullin Kazakh Agrotechnical University; L. K. Paluanova, Coordinator of the National Erasmus+ Office; A. M. Kylychev, Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Envoy of the Kyrgyz Republic, Rector of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic named after Kazy Dikambaev; Didar Zhanibekuly, Head of the Department of Human Resource Development in Water Management of the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation of the Republic of Kazakhstan; Jenniver Sehring, Associate Professor of Water Resources Management and Diplomacy at the Institute of Water Education, Netherlands;  Andrew Egan, Professor of Forestry, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Science, and Professional Studies at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, USA; Janay Sagin, Professor at Kazakh-British Technical University and Western Michigan University, USA; M. B. Kadyrova, Vice-Rector of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan; S. M. Romanova, Professor of the Institute of Zoology, Laboratory of Hydrobiology and Ecotoxicology; Javier Rodrigo-llarri, Deputy Director of the Hydrogeological Research Group at the Institute of Water and Environmental Engineering, Professor at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain; M. A. Alagudzhaeva, Development Advisor at JSC NC “Garysh Sapary”; Y. Borisova, Research Fellow at the Center for Natural Resources and Sustainable Development of the Kazakh-German University; and A. A. Tursynova, Head of the Water Resources Laboratory of the Institute of Geography and Water Security.

The International Summer School is being held in a hybrid format, online from June 18 to 21, 2024, and offline from June 24 to 28, 2024. The ISS is attended by 130 students from universities and research institutes in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and Russia, who will attend lectures given by professors from Hungary, the USA, Spain, the Netherlands, Iran, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.

From June 24 to 28, the ISS will continue its work at the Sary-Arka Educational and Research Complex in the Shchuchinsko-Borovskoi resort area. The program is enlarged not only with lectures and practical sessions but also includes hikes to laking to the lakes and the mountains, visits to the Museum of the “Burabay” National Park, a round table with employers on “Flood Modeling Results,” the traditional tree planting on the ISS Alley, project and startup presentations, as well as cultural and sports events.