AUCA（https://auca.kg/en/main/）/ RESEARCH（https://auca.kg/en/research/）/ RESEARCH INSTITUTES/TEAMS（https://auca.kg/en/research_institutes_teams/）/ Presidential Research and Education Fund（https://auca.kg/en/research_presidential_research/）/ 2021 - 2022（https://auca.kg/en/research_pref_2021_2022/）
PREF 2021 - 2022
Collaborative Teaching Materials Website: Open Syllabus Platform
Ilias Suvanov, Instructor, ECO
General overview:
The Collaborative Teaching Materials Website: Open Syllabus Platform aimed to create Open Syllabus Platform where AUCA students, faculty, staff, and researchers have access to upload, add, edit, modify and bring changes in teaching and learning materials, as well as participate in open discussions on the materials. The platform will be free of access and have zero cost of maintenance making it sustainable in the long term. The Open Syllabus Platform differs from the existing AUCA Moodle LMS in a way that any person can collaboratively work on editing and advancing learning materials published on the platform's pages. Video, audio, photo, interactive graphs, and applications can be added to the system by students, faculty, and researchers upon their wish. The Open Syllabus Platform will also be more straightforward in its intuitive design and better search box, and more importantly, the solution is serverless. Students can also take an active part in editing, publishing, and developing learning materials while sharing their insights and views which makes the in-class learning engaging and collaborative.
Budget of the project: $2500,00 USD
Action plan:
The Open Syllabus Platform will be hosted on GitHub Pages with the Jekyll engine using Markdown language. It will consist mainly of five parts: t he search box, which will allow students easily navigate hundreds of pages of teaching materials giving them opportunities to find connections between different courses; t he auto-generated sidebar with metadata of course sections, that will ease navigation through course materials; t he window with teaching materials themselves that can contain, interactive graphs, formatted text, schemes, videos and podcast audios, widening spectrum of learning materials; t he “Edit” button on the upper right side of the website that will allow students and teachers to edit, correct and add new materials; and t he discussion forum that is accessible through “discussions” on the upper right side of the website.
Primary outcomes:
Open Syllabus Platform is accessible HERE（https://iliassuvanov.github.io/OpenSocialSciences/）
Link to this block: https://auca.kg/en/research_pref_2021_2022/#b896
Creation of the GIS and Remote Sensing Laboratory at AUCA
Zheenbek Kulenbekov, Associate Professor
General overview:
The Creation of the GIS and Remote Sensing Laboratory at the AUCA project aimed to develop a geoinformation system of river basins, and terrestrial and human data that serve as a tool for analyzing and solving a wide range of issues in the field of common interests of the transboundary basin region in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia. The use of the created GIS and RS laboratory at AUCA contributes to the formation of holistic ideas about the state of the natural environment and the resource base in the conditions of the current oncoming moment of the impact of climate change, man-made and anthropogenic load. This power computer will help us to continue our research activities in the project called ‘Assessment of Water and Land Resources of Small Transboundary Tributaries of the Amu Darya River Basin Using GIS Technologies. That research presents some possible updates of the research results obtained relating to the Karatag and Surkhandarya (Uzbekistan) River basins analysis for water quality analysis by Remote Sensing Observations and surface water content using Earth Observation methods for analysis in the fall of 2021. Also, the results of such research will increase the number of scientific publications in international journals, thereby contributing to an increase in the AUCA ranking among universities in the world as well as training students of the Environmental and Earth Science Department at AUCA. Carry out training for students and young faculties involving them in the scientific projects and will be trained within the course of GIS Application in Environmental Management and Earth Science in the fall semester of 2021.
Budget of the project: $3000,00 USD
Action plan:
A powerful computer was purchased and installed at AUCA. Its main element is electronic thematic maps, which require a powerful computer (32-bit RAM) for graphic works with dual monitors and a powerful video card. For the creation of the geo-information support for agricultural, hydrological, climatic, ecological, social, and economic research of the river basins the space images georeferenced in QGIS, R-program for statistics, SWAT plug-in, and also GRASS plug-in for remote sensing data will be used as cartographic support and very useful for decision-makers. Thematic maps will be created by means of developed GIS objects (GIS vector, raster layers, and their arrangement in the form of cartographic materials), which will be helpful and useful for students to learn landscape morphology, geological rock types, and environmental issues using thematic maps.
Primary outcomes:
1. Department of Applied Geology and Environmental Sustainability and Climatology jointly opened a GIS and remote sensing laboratory. GIS is a geographic information system and remote sensing is Earth sensing data.
2. The laboratory includes software that allows the design of spatial maps, as well as conducts remote sensing of the earth based on images from space, and makes a variety of thematic maps in both geology and ecology. For instance, a geological map of a certain area, lithological maps, or classifying the earth's cover, analyze weather data in the field of studying climate change. Thematic maps allow us to make the right and more accurate decisions.
3. The GIS laboratory allows AUCA students to learn how to use modern software such as QGIS, ArcGIS, GMT, Mike Hydro Basin, and Micromine, and create a variety of 3D, ecological and hydrological models, visualize the terrain, study minerals, and ecosystems.
Read the full article on the project HERE（https://www.auca.kg/en/auca_news/4940/）
Link to this block: https://auca.kg/en/research_pref_2021_2022/#b866
Dusty Data Project: Digitalization of Archived Statistical Data
Akylai Muktarbek kyzy, Assistant Professor
General overview:
The Dusty Data Project: Digitalization of Archived Statistical Data aimed to digitize archival documents in Kyrgyzstan and host them on the AUCA Economics website for further use by students, faculty, staff, and researchers. Since a lot of the administrative data from the period of the Soviet Union is stored in Archives in Kyrgyzstan, it seems that this administrative data from lone gone periods is of no use to anybody these days, however, multiple types of research have shown that our present conditions are being to a certain extent shaped by events from the past. The epochal events of changing nomadic style to sedentary style not only changed the economical thinking of the native population but also had a massive impact on the psyche of the masses. This administrative data will allow us the mechanisms that are shaping our society today. The perennial question of corruption, injustice, and poverty could be much better understood with past data.
Budget of the project: $2500,00 USD
Action plan:
Project members visited Archive Agencies to transcribe original documents to Excel, Doc, or PDF formats to digitalize them. The digitalized data was uploaded to external hard drives and uploaded to iCloud (Google Drive). The metadata of digitized documents is collected in the master spreadsheet. The front-end of the website is built with Algolia Search Engine in the back-end that will query data from the master spreadsheet and show the query result in the User-Friendly Window. The final report is prepared and submitted, with key steps and outcomes described, and with links to all digital outputs provided.
Primary outcomes:
1. The digitized archival documents are available HERE（https://storage.googleapis.com/dusty_data/index.html） .
2. The architecture of the Dusty Data Projec t consists of three parts: 1) t ranscribed documents from the Kyrgyz National Archive Agencies; 2) t he digitized data uploaded to Google Drive and the metadata of digitized documents collected in the master spreadsheet; 3) t he front-end of the website is built with Algolia Search Engine in the back-end that will query data from the master spreadsheet and show the query results in the User-Friendly Window.
Final digitalized project is available on the https://storage.googleapis.com/dusty_data/index.html
Link to this block: https://auca.kg/en/research_pref_2021_2022/#b890
Integration of International Innovative Practices of Climate Fresk and Model COP for Climate Education and Engagement in Kyrgyzstan
Samar Kanatov, Undergraduate Student, ECO
General overview:
The Integration of International Innovative Practices of Climate Fresk and Model COP for Climate Education and Engagement in Kyrgyzstan is an educational project to address the climate change problems and students' awareness and engagement at AUCA in promoting environmental sustainability and climate change issues.