In Uzbekistan’s Surkhan State Nature Reserve (SSNR), an information centre is going to be established. In cooperation with the UNDP-GEF Project “Strengthening Sustainability of the National Protected Area System by Focusing on Strictly Protected Areas”, the Michael Succow Foundation is developing a concept for the information centre. International consultant Judith Kloiber visited Sherabad district of Surkhandarya region from March 18 to 23 in order to discuss needs of the target groups and assess the local information requirements. She discussed and developed common ideas with the administration of SSNR, representatives of local communities and schools.

The information centre will provide knowledge about environment and nature conservation, especially for inhabitants, school classes and students living within the planned buffer zones of SSNR.

From March 9 to 15, a delegation from Azerbaijan visited Germany in the context of developing the new master study programme "Bioecology - biodiversity and nature conservation" at Baku State University. A trip to the Island of Ruegen provided an insight into the practical side of studying landscape ecology at Greifswald University. The guests from Azerbaijan visited the national park Jasmund, the biosphere reserve South-East Ruegen with its bronze age graves and enjoyed the view on the Island of Vilm. During the following two days, they established a dialogue with representatives of Greifswald University, visited the laboratory, talked to colleagues at the Institute for Botany and Landscape Ecology and were received by the Rector. In a number of workshops, contents and structure of the new study programme were discussed intensely with Michael Succow Foundation staff. In the end, a convincing and satisfactory curriculum was compiled. In the upcoming weeks, the focus in Baku and Greifswald is put on developing contents for individual modules and organisational implementation. In mid-April, the final workshop will take place in Baku and from fall, the first master students can profit from the new study programme.