Last week, students of the OSUN's Online Course on Earth Observations in Monitoring SDGs were treated to an inspiring guest lecture by Mr. Kanat Sultanaliev, Executive Director of the Tian Shan Policy Center at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) and co-lead of the GeoHub project. Hosted at Central European University, the hybrid lecture was attended by students eager to learn about the benefits of Earth observations in supporting the monitoring and achievement of various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The session began with a series of group presentations by students on the advantages of using Earth observations to support SDGs. Mr. Sultanaliev and another guest speaker, Ms. Gulnaz Iskakova, National Project Coordinator at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), contributed their expertise to the class discussion.
Mr. Sultanaliev's talk then focused on the practical applications of Earth observations in sustainable land management, examining both global trends and the specific case of Kyrgyzstan. He shared some examples of AUCA's research on pasture management, showcasing the approaches being taken by researchers in this field.
Overall, the lecture was a great opportunity for students to engage with experts in the field of sustainable development and applications of remotely sensed data.