Current KIU-UO Partnership Project
Enhancing the study of Climate Change and Glaciology in Gilgit-Baltistan through collaboration between Karakoram International University and the University of Oregon
The central goal of this two-year project is to increase collaboration between KIU and UO faculty in research collaboration and curriculum development in climate change and glaciological studies. It intends to draw upon successful UO teaching-learning and community outreach models and bring them to KIU and customize them according to the needs and requirements of the region. Scientists from the UO in the fields of glaciology, climate change, paleoecology, and watershed-natural resource management will be able to share their scientific expertise with KIU faculty and graduate students while learning firsthand about climate challenges in this high alpine region. The partnership will foster excellent opportunities for KIU researchers to share their experiences and existing research with UO faculty and receive feedback.
This project’s mission is to build the capacity to withstand and adapt to the challenges of climate change through research collaboration, curriculum building, and furthering the development of KIU’s nascent Karakoram Center for Cryosphere and Climate Change (K3C). It builds on the existing partnership between the University of Oregon (UO) in the United States and Karakoram International University (KIU) in Pakistan. The project objectives are:
- Fostering collaborative scholarship between UO and KIU faculty to enhance knowledge and research on climate change and glacier behavior and processes in Gilgit Baltistan;
- Developing curriculum on climate mitigation and adaptation; and
- Introducing and expanding capacity-building in research design, data collection and analysis, and use of specialized equipment necessary for studying climate change.