GEOCLIC, started in 2021, was successfully completed in early 2024. The project aimed to modernize curricula in geospatial technologies to support the environmental safety and sustainable management of coastal ecosystems through the use of advanced technologies, including GEONETCast and the GIS software ILWIS. Central Asian countries, in particular, need qualified specialists capable of monitoring and managing coastal ecosystems due to the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters and climate change. The GEOCLIC project provided an important opportunity to contribute to addressing these challenges.

The project consortium included five EU partners, three Central Asian partners, and universities from Azerbaijan. Three Turkmen universities participated in the project: the International University for the Humanities and Development of Turkmenistan, Turkmen Agricultural University, and Magtymguly Turkmen State University. Within the framework of GEOCLIC, representatives of the Turkmen partner universities participated in eight virtual training sessions organized by EU experts. In 2023, nine teachers from Turkmen universities also participated in a Summer School at the Technical University of Berlin.

During the project implementation period, the following key outcomes were achieved:

• Higher education curricula and modules were developed and modernized in line with the EU higher education modernization agenda. These included the implementation of ECTS and the integration of recent developments in geospatial technologies.
• The project team established and tested GEOLAB laboratories and virtual rooms (CVE), providing new opportunities for practical and online learning.
• Equipment purchased within the framework of the project was used to establish GEOCOF service centers. These centers enhanced the digital learning environment at partner universities and encouraged students to develop skills in digital image processing, big data analysis, environmental modelling, optical and hyperspectral remote sensing, GIS, and other advanced technologies.
• The implementation of the project activities also contributed to regional cooperation. The project team established promising opportunities for collaboration between universities and enterprises through knowledge exchange, sharing of educational resources, and joint training initiatives.
• Overall, the project contributed to the development of competitive specialists equipped with analytical, digital, and research skills relevant to environmental monitoring and the sustainable management of coastal ecosystems.