The official opening of the center took place on November 18, with the participation of renowned professor Nobutoshi Nava from the Tokyo Institute of Science, the rector of OshSU Kudayberdi Kozhobekov, as well as faculty and students of the institution.
Kozhobekov emphasized that this project opens new horizons for scientific, educational, and international cooperation between Kyrgyzstan and Japan. He noted that the initiative has significant strategic importance and aims to address one of the most serious environmental problems in the region.
As part of the center's work, it is planned to study the impact of polluted air on public health. In cities like Osh and Bishkek, as well as in other areas, special measuring devices will be installed both inside and outside residential buildings to analyze air quality. The project team will create a strategic research plan, and Japanese scientists will come to Kyrgyzstan to collaborate with colleagues from OshSU. The data obtained will be submitted to the relevant government agencies with recommendations.
The center was established as part of a five-year project aimed at developing an air pollution assessment system using satellite data and chemical-transport modeling, implemented by OshSU in collaboration with the Tokyo Institute of Science. Three university staff members were trained in Japan to carry out the project's tasks.
The initiative is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) with a total budget of 5 million dollars, which allowed for the purchase of necessary equipment.
The project is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision, the Hydrometeorological Service, the International Higher School of Medicine, the Osh city administration, and international partners, with OshSU acting as the main executor.
