On July 27, 2026 a grant agreement signing ceremony for the Academic Innovation Fund, implemented as part of the “Quality and Innovation in Higher Education” project, was held at the Innovation Center of the Ministry of Science, Higher Education, and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Durus Isakbaevich Kozuev, Deputy Minister of Science, Higher Education, and Innovation of the Kyrgyz Republic and National Coordinator of the QIHE project, addressed the event participants with a welcoming speech. In his speech, he noted that the competition was held in three stages, with only six projects out of 196 submitted applications being recognized as winners, emphasizing their high scientific and practical significance for the development of the country’s higher education system.
Among the competition winners was a project from the Faculty of Physics and Electronics of the Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn, based at the Issyk-Kul Scientific Station. The project was titled: “Long-Term Monitoring and Analysis of Stratospheric and Tropospheric Ozone Trends in Central Asia Based on the data from DOAS and Sentinel-5P Satellite”
Professor D.T. Chontoev, Rector of Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn, participated in the grant agreement signing ceremony.
The grant from the Academic Innovation Fund is 8,781,000 KGS. The subproject will be implemented at the Issyk-Kul Scientific Station of the Kyrgyz National University and is designed for a period of up to three years.
One of the key results of the project will be the acquisition of a high-precision automated spectrometer Pandora 1S and the inclusion of the Issyk-Kul Scientific Station at KNU in the international Pandonia Global Network (PGN). The instrument, based on differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS), will enable continuous monitoring of total atmospheric ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and other atmospheric gases. When configured appropriately, the spectrometer will also measure greenhouse gas concentrations, including carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄), which play a key role in global climate change.
The Issyk-Kul Scientific Station is already a recognized international research center. Today, it is part of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) regional Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) network, as well as the international AERONET network of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), where research on atmospheric aerosols, solar radiation, and atmospheric processes in Central Asia has been conducted for many years.
The project will significantly expand the research potential of Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn. The use of world-class equipment will enable research to be conducted in accordance with international standards, publication of results in leading scientific journals, participation in major international scientific projects and grants, and the training of highly qualified specialists in atmospheric physics, climatology, Earth remote sensing, and environmental monitoring.
The project is fully aligned with the state policy priorities of the Kyrgyz Republic in the areas of scientific development, environmental safety, adaptation to climate change, digitalization of scientific research, as well as the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and international climate agreements.
We congratulate the staff of the Faculty of Physics and Electronics and the Issyk-Kul Scientific Station on winning the prestigious national competition and wish them success in implementing the project, the results of which will significantly contribute to the development of national science, strengthen international scientific cooperation, and enhance the prestige of Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn in the global scientific arena.
(С) S.A. Toktogonov, Dean of the Faculty of Physics and Electronics, Associate Professor
