CirculEc

Circular Economy education at higher education in CA countries

Publication | November 2024

This publication presents an assessment of the current state of the circular economy in Central Asian countries and a needs analysis of curriculum development among higher educational institutions.

Download pdf (ENG, UZB, RUS)

Type: Reports

Subjects: Circular Economy, Higher Education

Pages: 67

Overview:

The assessment provides an overview of the current regulations available in four Central Asian countries (Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan). The report also identifies the progress and challenges in adopting the Circular Economy principles in these countries. Finally, it provides a needs analysis of curriculum development among higher educational institutions by reviewing the existing curriculum and identifying demand for new disciplines in the circular economy based on a survey collected from 11 universities across Central Asian countries.

Contents:

1. Introduction and Background

2. Circular economy indicators in Central Asia countries

3. National Policies for the Circular Economy in Central Asia

4. Circular economy and sustainability in higher education institutions

5. Analysis of Existing Curricula in Partner Universities

6. Stakeholders analysis

Action Plan for Integrating Circular Economy Modules into Higher Education Institutions in Central Asia

Publication | November 2024

This publication presents an Action Plan for higher educational institutions in Central Asia. It provides detailed recommendations for implementing circular economy principles into academic curricula.

Download pdf (ENG, UZB, RUS) 

Type: Reports

Subjects: Circular Economy, Action Plans

Pages: 16

Overview:

This Action Plan aims to provide a strategic framework for embedding Circular Economy principles within Central Asian universities. It outlines actionable recommendations for integrating CE into academic curricula, campus operations, student engagement, and research initiatives. Moreover, the plan highlights the importance of collaboration between universities, government bodies, businesses, and civil society to foster a comprehensive transition to a CE at the regional level. By adopting this plan, universities in Central Asia can become leading examples of sustainability, preparing future generations to address the environmental and economic challenges of the 21st century.

Contents:

1. Introduction

2. Strategic actions

3. Higher Education Integration

4. Stakeholders’ Collaboration

5. Conclusion

WIUT hosted a meeting in the European-Central Asian EU project “CirculEC” (Circular Value Creation and Circular Economy at Universities)

Events | October 2024

This workshop aims to discuss with stakeholders from various industries and allow them to share their thoughts on the future of sustainable practices in Uzbekistan. During the meeting, the preliminary research findings of the project were presented and discussed with industry stakeholders. The workshop hosted representatives from Uzbekistan’s key industries, like textiles, agriculture, and manufacturing, advocating the shift towards the circular economy. During the workshop, it was identified that the textile industry is already paving the way – with its export focus on Europe, Uzbekistan’s textile industry is making great strides by minimizing waste and recycling, or even reselling, what would otherwise go to landfills.

Capacity Building Training

Events | March 2025

The training for enhancing teaching staff capacity for CA partners was held from March 11 to March 27, 2025. Four professors from WIUT joined the trainings organized by European partner universities.

The main purpose of this training is primarily to provide partners and future users from the beneficiary universities with access to the developed project materials and the skills to implement sustainable business models. In collaboration with the EU and Central Asian universities, our professors focused on developing innovative curricula and enhancing circular economy education at WIUT.

Event Overview:

• Training on Sustainability and Urban Development

  Dates: 10-14 March 2025

  Venue: University of Naples Federico II, Italy

• Training on Environmental Management

  Dates: 17-21 March 2025

  Venue: Fachhochschule des Mittelstands, Germany

• Training on Environmental Entrepreneurship

  Dates: 24-28 March 2025

  Venue: Universidade de Santiago, Spain

Training on Sustainability and Urban Development

University: Federico II University of Naples

Location: Italy

Dates: March 11-14, 2025

Coordinated by Professor Carmela Gargiulo and Professor Gerardo Carpentieri, UNINA hosted 30 professors from universities across Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The training aimed to equip Asian professors with the knowledge and skills to address the challenges of sustainable development and the circular economy. During their visit, Alisher Pulatov and Munira Zakirova participated in this series of training sessions as representatives of WIUT.

The training courses were also transmitted online at WIUT with the help of the Centre for Academic Development.

Training on Environmental Management by FHM

University: Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences (FHM)

Location: Germany

Dates: March 17-20, 2025

As a part of the training, Zamira Ataniyazova and Iroda Komilova have attended a series of workshops on Environmental Management, Environmental Problems Assessment Tools, Environmental Processes and Principles, Business practices on Circular Design, and Climate Management. The sessions were led by Prof. Dr Melanie Eikenbusch, professor at the University of Applied Sciences for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (FHM), Bas Roelofs, Co-Founder of Sustar and CIRCO Circular Design trainer at Delft University of Technology, and Dr Rulf Treidel, Honorary Professor in Management in Tourism at FHM.

The training series was also followed by field visits to Innovation Campus Lemgo, Smart Factory OWL, and ZF Friedrichshafen AG. Innovation Campus at Lemgo combines education, research, and business, where more than 7,000 people are learning, researching, and working. As a part of the field visits, Zamira Ataniyazova and Iroda Komilova also attended Smart Factory OWL, a laboratory in Ostwestfalen-Lippe where businesses and research institutes from different disciplines collaborate together to develop new technologies for businesses.

Training on Environmental Entrepreneurship

University: University of Santiago de Compostela

Location: Spain

Dates: March 24-27, 2025

Two Senior Lecturers from the Management and Marketing Department, Iroda Komilova and Zamira Ataniyazova, visited the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC). USC's Faculty of Economic Science and Business Administration organized workshops on the Fundamentals of Circular Economy and Sustainability Policies, Circular and Sustainable Business Models, and Circular and Sustainable Entrepreneurship.