The mountainous country of Kyrgyzstan is located in an active seismic zone, underscoring the need for techniques to assess risk. Through the Central Asia University Partnerships Program (UniCEN), administered by American Councils for International Education and funded by the U.S. State Department through the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent, University of Oregon and American University of Central Asia (AUCA) are collaboratively working on modeling seismic hazards for students and educators
In February 2021, University of Oregon and American University of Central Asia researchers presented a seminar on how geology can an improve seismic hazard estimates in Kyrgyzstan. Through these engagements, University of Oregon and AUCA researchers expanded the number of international collaborators in seismic studies, including the Kyrgyzstan Institute of Seismology.
In November-December, 2021 partners delivered an intensive 6-week course which introduced participants to seismic hazard analysis. Through online collaboration, experts constructed a new seismic hazard evaluation built from the best elements of existing data. The course also incorporated opportunities for 27 participants from the American University, Kyrgyz National University, Osh State University, and the Kyrgyz Institute of Seismology to collaborate weekly with graduate students from the University of Oregon, seismologists from the U.S. Geological Survey, and faculty from U.S., UK, and Italian universities.
Having established a solid framework for partnership, researchers at the University of Oregon and AUCA continue to evaluate seismic hazards in Kyrgyzstan and are preparing several papers for publication.