From December 8 to 13, 2025, an international training seminar was held at the Tajik National University (Dushanbe) within the framework of the Erasmus+ CBHE ESGCA project – “Bridging Environmental Concerns, Societal Needs, and Good Governance in Central Asian Education and Employment Sectors” on the topic “ESG: Risk Management”.
The Tajik National University organized the event as part of Work Package 2 of the ESGCA project and was the final of three training workshops of the project, following workshops held earlier in Astana (September 2025, environmental direction) and Bukhara (October 2025, social sciences).
Representatives of the National Erasmus+ Office in Tajikistan (NEO) actively participated in the seminar and final roundtable discussion, emphasizing the importance of the ESGCA project in modernizing higher education, developing sustainable approaches, and enhancing the country’s universities’ capacity in the area of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance).
The key topic of the Dushanbe seminar was ESG risk management and principles of good governance, including:
- general understanding of ESG risks, concepts, and international frameworks;
- methods for assessing and mitigating ESG risks and their practical application in institutions and organizations;
- environmental, social, and governance risk management from the perspective of social sciences and law;
- financial and institutional risks;
- experience of the European Union and cases of EU countries.
The lecturers included leading experts from the project’s partner universities in Italy, Romania, and Slovakia, including representatives from the University of Genoa, Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu, and the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava.
On December 12, 2025, a roundtable discussion was held with representatives from higher education institutions, government agencies, and businesses. The seminar’s results were discussed, and joint recommendations for the establishment and operation of ESG Centers in Central Asian countries were formulated. Representatives of the Erasmus+ NEO Tajikistan emphasized the importance of such initiatives for strengthening interaction between universities, government agencies, and the private sector.
The following expected results were noted at the end of the seminar:
- expanding understanding of the role of ESG and the green transition in the context of Central Asian countries;
- development of recommendations for the integration of ESG principles into the activities of universities and businesses;
- initiation of preliminary discussions on the development of Master’s programmes in ESG, which will be a key outcome of the next year of the project (2025/2026);
- coordination of organizational and institutional aspects of the creation of research and innovation ESG centers.
The National Erasmus+ Office in Tajikistan welcomes the successful implementation of the ESGCA project and confirms its readiness to continue supporting initiatives aimed at improving the quality of higher education, promoting sustainable development, and strengthening international cooperation within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme.