UCA and Goskartografia Host International GIS Day
On 19 November 2025, the UCA, in collaboration with the State Institution of Geodesy and Cartography of the Kyrgyz Republic (Goskartografia), held celebration of International GIS Day. Under the global theme “Geo-Generalist Era: Where Spatial Meets Everything”, the event highlighted the growing importance of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) — powerful digital tools for collecting, storing, analysing, and visualising spatial and geographic data — in addressing contemporary challenges from climate resilience to public health and sustainable development.
Bringing Together Diverse Actors for Spatial Thinking
The day-long event brought together over 40 GIS experts, practitioners and users from government agencies, academic institutions and non-governmental organisations. Participants had the opportunity to exchange knowledge, showcase practical applications, and explore how GIS can contribute to evidence-based policymaking and more effective service delivery across sectors.
Representatives from various agencies — including the World Food Programme (WFP) — presented case studies demonstrating how GIS can support initiatives such as food security, urban planning, and social welfare. These presentations sparked lively discussions about current challenges, technological opportunities, and the potential for scaling GIS solutions nationwide.
Narynbek Isabekov, Deputy Director of Goskartografia, noted: “We have a shortage of specialists. Now we need to train experts to work with modern tools. GIS in Kyrgyzstan has evolved from paper maps to digital ones and is now one of the instruments of state policy.”
From Theory to Practice: Health Data Mapping Workshop
In the afternoon session, attendees joined a session on visualising health data using GIS tools. The session was attended by researchers from the International Higher School of Medicine (IHSM), representatives from the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, and students from the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University. The strong level of engagement, along with numerous follow-up questions, demonstrated considerable interest in further training and use of GIS for health research and planning.
Equipping Institutions for Future Work
All participants received certificates of completion, and IHSM, the Ministry of Health, and the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University were each provided with a one-year ArcGIS license to support continued learning and application of GIS tools.
Aizirek Abykeeva from the Republican Center for Health Promotion, Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, added: “We often conduct various studies, and we really need this knowledge to better use our data in research.”
As noted in UCA’s message, GIS is increasingly embedded in everyday life — from urban planning and climate research to cultural heritage preservation — and the university is committed to building capacity in spatial data analysis across Central Asia.
