2019-04-16

DAAD – Research Symposium “Bioeconomy & Security”

On 15 April the OSCE Academy hosted the second day of the DAAD – Research Symposium “Bioeconomy & Security,” organized by German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in cooperation with the OSCE Academy, University of Bremen and Fresenuis University. This two-day symposium started on 14th of April at Park Hotel Bishkek and gathered more than 60 representatives of NGOs, of international development organizations as well as of a number of Universities of Kyrgyzstan. The first day of the event was opened by the Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Kudaiberdi Kojobekov, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Monika Iwersen, and Rector of the Kyrgyz State University, Prof. Tolobek Abdyrakhmanov. Following the official opening, experts from German and Kyrgyz universities discussed bioeconomy and supply chain security; food security; potentials of bioeconomy in the region and its importance in pharmaceutical commodities; bioeconomy and its potential for sustainable development as well as other related issues.

The second day was organized as a Stakeholder meeting, and introduced by the Academy’s Director Dr. Alexander Wolters with welcoming addresses from Ambassador Monika Iwersen, Prof. Tolobek Abdyrakhmanov, and Mr. Yuri Fenopetov, Senior Political Advisor of the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek. During this meeting experts raised several relevant topics such as security importance for global food chains; bioeconomy and supply chain security; bioeconomy and reindustrialization in Kyrgyzstan and innovation and education in security management in Central Asia. The Symposium concluded with workshops on “Fundraising and Networking in Bio Economic Research – The Client II Programme” led by Peter Liebelt from the Central Asian Sustainable Innovations Bureau in Almaty and a session on results of the symposium including an exchange on further joint projects, led by Prof. Dr. Anja Mihr, DAAD Visiting Professor at the OSCE Academy.