CAREC Chai Talk on Greening Education for a Sustainable Future in the CAREC Region Concludes Successfully

On 5 December 2024, the CAREC Institute, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), successfully hosted the CAREC Chai Talk webinar, entitled “Advancing Sustainable Futures through Greening Education in the CAREC Region.” The webinar concentrated on integrating sustainability and climate awareness into educational systems throughout the CAREC region. It also examined strategies for greening curricula and addressing local environmental challenges.

Dr. Kuat Akizhanov, Deputy Director Two of the CAREC Institute, opened the session with a welcome address, emphasizing the significance of green education in equipping future generations with the skills necessary for sustainable development. He acknowledged the diverse educational standards across CAREC countries as a challenge for the consistent integration of environmental topics and proposed a region-specific approach to foster a sustainability-driven mindset across communities.

The discussion, moderated by Ms. Altynay Arapova, Economist at ADB’s Central and West Asia Department, focused on effective strategies for integrating climate knowledge and green skills at all educational levels. Dr. S. Sohail H. Naqvi, CEO of KnowlEDGE Streams, Member of the Advisory Committee of the CAREC Institute, and former Rector of the University of Central Asia, placed great emphasis on the importance of indigenous knowledge, experiential learning, and technology in education. He emphasized the importance of resilience education, particularly in response to climate change and disaster risk.

Mr. Alexander Tsironis, Education Specialist at ADB, shared best practices in higher education and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) from ADB’s portfolio. He highlighted the need for a holistic, whole-of-school approach and called for greater collaboration among policymakers, the private sector, and educational institutions to develop green skills.

Mr. Mamatkalil Razaev, Social Sector Specialist at ADB, discussed the challenges and opportunities in integrating climate knowledge across education systems. He underscored the importance of a distributed approach to addressing these challenges and the critical need for financial support to ensure equitable access, particularly for rural and underserved communities.

The speakers agreed on the transformative role of technology in enhancing the accessibility and equity of green education across regions. They also emphasized the critical importance of policy and governance in ensuring equitable access to sustainability-focused educational opportunities.

In conclusion, the webinar stressed the need for a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach involving governments, NGOs, and educational institutions to prioritize green education. Aligning educational efforts with global sustainability frameworks, such as the Paris Agreement and the United Nations 2030 Agenda, was identified as essential for achieving meaningful, long-term progress.

Please visit the CAREC Institute’s eLearning platform for video recordings, and follow us on Spotify for the latest episodes of the Chai Talks podcast.