Visit from Samarkand State University to GRÓ LRT and AUI

GRÓ LRT and the Agricultural University of Iceland (AUI) welcomed Dr Shuhrat Valiyev, a GRÓ LRT alumnus from Samarkand State University in Uzbekistan for visit to Iceland from 4–8 May. The visit was funded by Erasmus+ and focused on knowledge exchange, professional development, and strengthening institutional collaboration between Samarkand State University and AUI.

The main goal of the visit was to support the exchange of knowledge and skills between the two universities, particularly in the field of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and related themes. The visit also aimed to strengthen academic cooperation and explore future opportunities for collaboration in teaching, and curriculum development.

As part of the visit, Dr Valiyev gave a lecture to the current cohort of GRÓ LRT, where he shared his professional experience and reflected on how the GRÓ LRT training had contributed to his own carrier process. He also took part in the event From Knowledge to Development Impact as a panellist, contributing to discussions on the impact of the programme and the role of capacity strengthening in land restoration.

The expected outcomes of the visit included strengthened academic collaboration between Samarkand State University and AUI, deeper insight into GIS tools, and enhanced professional capacity through shared experiences and training.

Dr Valiyev used the opportunity to reunite with the nature of Iceland and went on few sightseeing trips with the GRÓ LRT staff and the two visitors from Malawi, who also were visiting Iceland at the same time.

We were very pleased to welcome Dr Shuhrat back to Iceland and look forward to continued collaboration with him and his colleagues in Uzbekistan.