13 February 2026, online

The Central Asia Regional Information Network (CARIN) will host a research webinar as part of its Spring 2026 series, bringing together experts and researchers focused on sustainable solutions for Central Asia’s environmental and water-resource challenges. One of the featured speakers will be Hydro4U representative from Dr. Bunyod Holmatov from IWMI with a talk on “Bridging Borders: How Water-Energy-Food-Climate Nexus Interventions Foster Cooperation in Central Asia — A Case Study from Hydro4U” from 09 – 10am UTC-4.

Register here.

For further information visit: https://www.centralasiarin.net/

12 December 2025, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovations of the Republic of Uzbekistan (MHESI), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Uzbekistan (MFA), in cooperation with the European Commission’s DG Research & Innovation, DG Education, Youth, Sport and Culture are jointly organizing a conference titled “Advancing Uzbekistan’s Research Potential: EU Partnership Day.”

This event takes place at a moment of deepening strategic engagement between the European Union and Central Asia. Recent milestones—including the EU–Central Asia Summit in April 2025, the official visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Brussels in September 2025, and the signing of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA)—demonstrate the growing momentum in political, economic, and scientific cooperation.

In this context, the conference aims to strengthen ties between research communities in Uzbekistan and the EU, fostering closer collaboration, greater researcher mobility, and expanded academic exchange. While Erasmus+ programmes continue to be highly successful and widely recognized, there remains significant untapped potential in the EU’s Horizon Europe framework. As Horizon projects are still less explored in the Central Asian region, this event is dedicated to raising awareness, encouraging applications, and helping Uzbek researchers and universities fully engage in the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme.

By promoting stronger partnerships, joint research initiatives, and increased participation in Horizon Europe, the conference seeks to support Uzbekistan’s long-term scientific development and enhance its integration into the global research landscape.

For further information visit: https://tsue.uz/en/news/universitetda-xorijiy-grantlarni-jalb-qilish-boyicha-xalqaro-konferensiyasi-bolib-otdi

24 – 28 August 2025, Stockholm, Sweden

Join in at World Water Week for the session “Cooperation That Delivers: Realising Transboundary Water Cooperation under Climate Pressure” on 28 August from 09:00–10:30 CEST, Room C2, Level 2 (onsite and online).

This session will feature insights from several experts, including Dr. Jonathan Lautze and Dr. Bunyod Holmatov from project partner International Water Management Institute (IWMI). They will highlight action-oriented approaches such as the Water-Food-Energy-Climate nexus intervention from the Hydro4U project—that are enhancing cooperation and delivering tangible results.

The session is convened by IUCN Water and Wetlands, the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), and the UNEP-DHI Partnership – Centre on Water and Environment.

Participants are also invited to visit the IWMI exhibition booth to learn more and pick up a Hydro4U leaflet.

For further information visit: https://www.iwmi.org/events/world-water-week-2025/

14 May 2025, online

In this webinar taking place on 14 May from 13:30 to 15:00 CET, a variety of experts in the field of hydropower research will share their insights and best practices.

Hydro4U project coordinator Bertalan Alapfy from the Technical University of Munich as well as Hydro4U representative Daniel S. Hayes from BOKU Vienna will also take part in the webinar and present the project.

For further information visit: https://etip-hydropower.eu/admin/news/?act=view&act_id=82https://etip-hydropower.eu/events/boosting-hydropower-v-best-practices-for-research/

14 – 15 May 2025, Stuttgart, Germany

Our mission is to support, empower and inspire women in the tech industry. Because there is no question that women play an important role in the tech world and that their unique perspectives and skills can contribute to innovation and progress.

Whether you’re already in tech, just starting out, or just interested in technology, Women of Tech is the right place for you.

For further information visit: https://www.womenoftech.de/?utm_campaign=ML_24_04_IAT-women-of-tec

26 – 27 February 2025, Vienna, Austria

Climate change is impacting water, energy and food globally – Central Asia is no exception. The region faces increasing water scarcity, which is likely to exacerbate existing socio-economic or geopolitical challenges. Addressing these risks requires proactive management, but also raising awareness of systemic approaches. This can be supported by fostering innovative solutions and promoting supportive policy frameworks and incentives. These measures are vital for reducing tensions and advancing sustainable development, particularly for the future of young women and men in the region.

The OSCE, in collaboration with Switzerland, has been organizing the “Drops of the Future” Youth Workshop Series on the Water-Food-Energy Nexus. The workshops aimed to equip young professionals, especially women, with the skills to understand and address these challenges around sustainable approaches for water, food and energy.

Following five regional workshops held across Central Asia, we are organizing an event to present outcomes and showcase best practices and innovative solutions from Central Asia and beyond. We are happy to welcome you on Wednesday, 26 February 2025 between 14:00 – 18:00 and on Thursday, 27 February between 09:00 – 17:00 at the BOKU River Lab.

For further information visit: https://www.osce.org/oceea/585601

4 – 5 December 2024, online

Despite many efforts, little progress has been made so far in tackling the biodiversity crisis; the extinction of species continues unabated. The COP-15 in Kunming-Montreal adopted an ambitious post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework in December 2022. Among other things, the signatory states committed to bringing the loss of areas of high biodiversity importance close to zero by 2030, while respecting the rights of indigenous people (target 1). There is also a commitment to the effective restoration of at least 30% of areas of degraded terrestrial, inland water, and coastal and marine ecosystems by 2030 (target 2) – and the remaining targets 3 to 23 are no less ambitious. But how realistic is this post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and what does it take to make this framework a success? And we will ask whether COP-16 in Cali/Columbia (October 21 to November 1, 2024) will generate new impetus and momentum here.

Against this backdrop, the BMBF Research Initiative for the Conservation of Biodiversity (FEdA) invites colleagues from science, politics and business, from Europe and around the world to join the digital international conference “Reversing biodiversity loss – Conflicts, telecoupling and successful practices”, which will focus on the following topics and key questions:

• How can the transformation to a biodiversity-positive world, as called for by the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, actually be achieved by 2030? What examples of best practice are there and what are the most promising approaches?

• What contribution can and should science, politics and business make in order to achieve this goal? How promising are nature-based solutions in this context?
  What approaches are there for overcoming conflicting goals and avoiding negative effects from telecoupling?

The Hydro4U project will be represented by project partner TIIAME with a presentation on “The impact of hydropower development on fish diversity in Central Asia mountain rivers.”

For further information visit: https://invitepeople.com/events/bc84115a37#login

6 December 2024, online

On 6 December 2024, from 13:30 to 15:00 CET, the latest session in the webinar series “Boosting Hydropower: Best Practices for Research” will present the latest advances in hydropower technology. Organised by the ETIP HYDROPOWER project, this session will introduce three EU research projects and highlight the main conclusions of the 2024 report “Hydropower and Pumped Hydropower Storage in the European Union”.

Featured Projects and Presenters:

• SHERPA: Ademir Suárez from Iberdrola Spain will present SHERPA, which aims to develop and validate innovative technologies for the refurbishment of existing hydropower plants in order to extend and/or adapt their operating range to include lower water flows, without compromising their lifetime, economic viability, and environmental and impact.
• RevHydro: Michel Cervantes from Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, will introduce RevHydro, an initiative intended to develop and implement technologies that address the efficiency, environmental impact, and operational challenges faced by hydropower plants, especially ageing ones, due to changes in energy demand, climate conditions, and technological developments.
• STOR-HY: Alexandre Presas from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain, will present the STOR-HY project, which focuses on extending the lifespan of pumped storage hydropower plants and retrofitting equipment through smart monitoring and control technologies. It also targets challenging areas for storage application such as seawater and coal mines.

The webinar will also feature contributions from Emanuele Quaranta of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), who will present the main findings of the Clean Energy Technology Observatory (CETO) Hydropower 2024 report, and Anton Schleiss from the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), will be presenting ETIP HYDROPOWER.

This webinar will provide an opportunity to learn about the latest research developments in hydropower across Europe.

How to Join:

Interested participants can register for the webinar here.

You can find the agenda also here.

For further information visit: https://etip-hydropower.eu/latest-news/webinar-boosting-hydropower-best-practices-for-research-with-sherpa-revhydro-and-stor-hy/ 

18 September 2024, online

On 18 September 2024, from 1:30PM to 3:00PM CET, the latest session in the “Boosting Hydropower: Best Practices for Research” webinar series will present recent advancements in hydropower technology. Organised under the ETIP HYDROPOWER project, this session will highlight three EU research projects.

Featured Projects and Presenters:

Re-Hydro: Atle Harby from SINTEF Energy Research will discuss Re-Hydro, a project focused on refurbishing and modernising European hydropower to play a significant role in future power systems. The project prioritises sustainability and addresses societal needs within the context of climate change.

Store2Hydro: Staffan Lundström from Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, will introduce Store2Hydro, a four-year initiative funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe programme. This project aims to optimise electricity storage by integrating reversible pump turbine technology into existing hydropower infrastructures.

Renewat: Clement Van Straaten from ASKEUL will present the RENEWAT project, which addresses the cultural and territorial aspects of repurposing water mills for renewable energy. The project involves partners from six EU countries who will share knowledge and support renewable energy initiatives in existing water mills, with the goal of enhancing the skills of local and regional actors.

Additionally, the webinar will feature contributions from Emanuele Quaranta of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) and Anton Schleiss from the International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD), who will represent ETIP HYDROPOWER.

This webinar provides an opportunity to learn about the latest research developments in hydropower across Europe.

Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/6496875010094835798

13 – 17 May 2024, Munich, Germany

IFAT is the world’s leading network for environmental technologies. In addition to the world’s leading trade fair IFAT Munich, this network also includes trade fairs in China, India, South Africa, Brasil and Turkey. A global network for decision-makers in companies in the environmental technology sector with specific solutions for the respective challenges in the different markets.

Hydro4U representative and project partner MUHR will be participating in this event with a booth.

For further information visit: Home (ifat.de)