Alumni Chapter Meetings Held in Tajikistan

On 12-13 August, the OSCE Academy organized a meeting of its Dushanbe alumni chapter. During these two days 24 graduates of both MA programmes, the Journalism School as well as new students of the upcoming academic year gathered. The traditional format of the event was changed in order to include a one-day workshop on project proposal writing and a social event outside the city. The new format was introduced and much welcomed by the alumni. The OSCE Academy is proud that it can rely on the professionalism of its alumni and ask for their contributions. This time our graduate Mr. Faruh Kuziev (‘15) who has extensive knowledge and experience in writing and winning international grants was invited to conduct the workshop.

The event took place on August 12 at the OSCE Office in Dushanbe. We would like to express our gratitude to the OSCE Office in Dushanbe for its constant support to our Alumni activities. Also, our alumni who work in the office and have been so resourceful and supportive to our alumni events deserve our appreciation. We thank Daler Hamidov for his timely and invaluable assistance in the organization of this event.

The workshop started with a short introduction by Svetlana Dzardanova, our Research and Training Coordinator at the OSCE Academy. Following her, the floor was given to Mr. Kuziev who elaborated in his first session on the peculiarities of different donor organizations, and on approaches to properly conduct the search for funding. Then he conducted a full tour through the process of project proposal writing and presenting it to the donor, putting emphasis to the latter. After lunch, the participants were divided into four groups to get practical advice on application procedures. Three groups worked on their project proposals while one group represented the donor committee and worked on criteria for the evaluation of the projects. Finally, all three groups presented their project ideas and, following a short discussion, the committee made its choice. Afterward, the participants who had worked on their own projects were given the opportunity for an individual session with the trainer. Reflecting on this experience both the trainer and the group expressed their gratitude to the Academy for the opportunity and constant support that the OSCE Academy provides to its alumni.

For this occasion, several students who had been just accepted to the Academy were also invited to participate. The Alumni meeting gave them a first impression about the alumni network and its workings as well as about the OSCE Academy community in general. We cordially welcome the newcomers on board who actively participated in both the training sessions and the social event.

On Sunday, August 13, the alumni of the Journalism School joined the MA groups to spend a day of networking and fun at the Nurek dam and reservoir. On the way, the alumni could enjoy the picturesque landscapes and the breathtaking spillway near Nurek. Playing frisbee, cards, making and eating plov and swimming were only some of the activities the group engaged into. A boat trip and a short hike also attracted some of the participants. We thank everyone for their active participation and we look forward to our next chapter meetings in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan!

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