Faculty members of the S.A. Niyazov Turkmen Agricultural University took part in the training seminar held under the “Building Resilient Institutional Dialogue for Governance and Education (BRIDGE)” project, organized within the framework of the “Italy–Central Asia” cooperation format. The seminar took place from June 14 to 20 in the Italian city of Bologna.
The event was organized under the coordination of the European Union and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.
Ahead of the seminar, which focused on “Sustainable Agricultural Development,” participants completed a two-week online course covering regional cooperation, environmental issues, and water resource management.
The training program began at the Asia Institute of the University of Bologna, one of the world's oldest and most prestigious institutions of higher education. During the session, representatives from Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan presented projects being implemented in their respective countries in the fields of agriculture and water-saving technologies.
As the program continued, leading Italian professors delivered lectures on precision agriculture, artificial intelligence, cyber tools, digital systems, and the impact of climate change on the agricultural sector. Participants also took part in practical workshops and team-based exercises focusing on drought mitigation, the implementation of innovative irrigation systems, and the planning of international-level projects.
Particular emphasis was placed on field visits to various facilities. Participants visited the headquarters of the Emilia-Romagna Regional Government, where they learned about European Union agricultural standards and the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS). They also toured the Canale Emiliano Romagnolo irrigation canal, the ACQUA CAMPUS research and testing center, the Codigoro pumping station, and the Salvi Vivai innovative plant nursery. During these visits, participants were introduced to advanced hydraulic technologies, water-saving cyber tools, and methods for cultivating crops adapted to diverse climatic conditions.
This visit provided participants with an in-depth understanding of the innovative expertise of Italian specialists in sustainable agriculture, precision irrigation, and sustainable hydraulic engineering systems.
At the conclusion of the seminar, representatives of the Asia Institute of the University of Bologna and international experts presented international certificates to participants who had successfully completed both the theoretical and practical components of the training program.
