The IRCAPS Interdepartmental Research Center, which will conduct air pollution research, has been opened at Osh State University. The university’s press service announced.
The opening ceremony took place on November 18. It was attended by Nobutoshi Nawa, a Professor at the Tokyo Institute of Science and renowned scientist, Nishigata Kotaro, Chief Representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Kyrgyzstan, Kudaiberdi Kozhobekov, Rector of Osh State University, faculty and students.
The center will study the impact of polluted air on human health. In Osh, Bishkek, and other regions, special measuring devices will be installed inside and outside residential buildings to assess air quality. The project teams will develop a strategic research plan. Japanese scientists will visit Kyrgyzstan and work jointly with Osh State University specialists. The data obtained will be shared with relevant agencies as recommendations.
The center was created as part of a five-year project to develop an air pollution assessment system based on satellite data and chemical transport modeling, which Osh State University is implementing jointly with the Tokyo Institute of Science. Three university staff members have been trained in Japan.
The project is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST). Its budget is $5 million, which was used to purchase the necessary equipment.
The initiative is being implemented jointly with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment, and Technical Supervision, the Hydrometeorological Service, the International School of Medicine, the Osh City Hall, and international partners. The Osh State University is the main project implementer.
