Political framework

The countries of Central Asia are becoming increasingly important partners, for example in the search for joint solutions to global challenges. There is potential as well as expertise in key areas of research there, for example in relation to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This provides the focus for the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), which supports German researchers in collaborations with promising partners in the region and in realizing shared research potential. The unique natural characteristics and geographic position of the region, as well as the quality of its research, which is growing significantly, combine to offer a wide range of starting points and thematic fields.

The basis for the wide-ranging and growing science cooperation between Germany and the countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan is the intergovernmental agreement on scientific and technical cooperation (STC) signed in 1987, which is still considered valid by these states. Additional bilateral STC agreements were signed with Kazakhstan in 1995, Uzbekistan in 1998 and Mongolia in 2003. In 2019, the BMBF signed a declaration of intent for a German-Uzbek partnership for innovation (“Innovation Partnership”) with the then Ministry of Innovative Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan (as of January 2023: the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations). Its aim is to expand German-Uzbek cooperation in science and technology as well as to strengthen it in the area of innovation.

The overarching framework for cooperation is provided by the EU’s Central Asia strategy “New Opportunities for a Stronger Partnership”, to which Germany was a key contributor and which was revised in 2019, the EU’s Global Gateway initiative of 2021 and the German Government’s Internationalization Strategy for science and research of 2017. In addition, in 2020 the Federal Foreign Office launched the Green Central Asia initiative, in which Germany’s research organizations are involved. The coalition agreement for the present Federal Government of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP, whose term runs from 2021 to 2025, sets out aims for the continuation of support for climate and development partnerships. This means that research cooperation in such areas as sustainability, climate research and adaptation to climate change, green hydrogen, biodiversity and bioeconomy will be systematically expanded by the BMBF.

Key areas of cooperation

The science systems of the countries of Central Asia are undergoing change and are confronted with a range of challenges. The BMBF would like to make a lasting contribution to the expansion of research-friendly and innovation-friendly conditions in those countries by means of targeted offers of cooperation. To implement Germany’s research interests, the BMBF is supporting universities, universities of applied sciences and research institutions in their cooperation with these countries. Attention is focused on precisely targeted funding mechanisms and other measures to support and assist research collaborations.

A central element of the BMBF’s funding strategy for the countries of Central Asia is the announcement in 2023 of Framework Regulations for the Funding of Research and Innovation Cooperation Projects with the Countries of the Eastern Partnership and Central Asia which the BMBF has published in order to place its cooperation with Central Asia within a comprehensive and long-term funding framework. Within this reliable framework, funding calls targeted to specific needs will be published up to 2033, in which the specific topics, partner countries, funding instruments and funding amounts will be defined.

The thematic focuses of the BMBF’s international collaboration with the countries of Central Asia are closely based on the priorities of the EU’s new Central Asia strategy. These include:

• land management and agriculture
• climate/environment research and adaptation to climate change
• water
• natural hazards and civil protection
• sustainable urban development
• biodiversity research
• bioeconomy research
• secure, clean and efficient energy
• health

Bilateral cooperation and research funding

The BMBF is active in funding and supporting numerous activities in and together with the countries of Central Asia, with the aim of expanding trust-based dialogue on research, and intensifying research collaborations. 

As part of the BMBF initiative “CLIENT II – International Partnerships for Sustainable Innovations” implemented within the framework programme “FONA 3 Research for Sustainable Development”, funding was approved for a total of 14 research projects with countries in Central Asia between 2017 and 2021. The focus is on the topics of land and water management, natural hazards, climate action/energy efficiency, adaptation to climate change, and resource efficiency. The cooperation by German and international partners from science and industry is oriented towards the development of solutions aimed at utilization and commercialization which are adapted to local conditions, thus rendering them marketable. The goal is to simultaneously strengthen the participating partner countries and Germany's competitive position. In order to support German involvement in Central Asia, the BMBF funds a project office for sustainable innovation (CASIB – Central Asia Sustainable Innovation Bureau) based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The overall funding volume of the CLIENT II projects with Central Asia is more than 17 million euros.

There have already been four “Partnerships for sustainable solutions in developing and emerging countries – Research for Development” calls for Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus, the last of which was announced in August 2019. Selected pilot measures on the topics of health, biodiversity, urban-rural systems and socio-ecological research with the cross-cutting themes of knowledge transfer and digital transformation are funded for up to 36 months.  Of the 16 projects selected for funding, seven involve Central Asian partners.

In the funding area for secure, clean and efficient energy, the current focus of research collaborations with Central Asia is on green hydrogen. German institutions are carrying out research in this field in collaboration with partners from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. 

A bilateral call for project proposals was published in 2020 as part of the innovation partnership with Uzbekistan. This covers the topics of sustainable urban and rural development, climate and environmental sciences, sustainable agriculture, new materials and modern building technologies, as well as secure, clean and efficient energy. The 10 projects selected for funding started in autumn 2022. The overall volume of the BMBF’s funding for this purpose is around two million euros.