In June, Dr. Saleh Taghvaeian, Associate Professor in Biological Systems Engineering, traveled to Kazakhstan to explore opportunities for international collaboration in agricultural water management. The visit, led by Dr. Dan Snow, Director of the UNL Water Sciences Laboratory, and a BSE faculty member, included meetings with faculty and researchers at four universities and one government research institute, including the newly established Kazakh National University of Water Management and Irrigation.
The team was accompanied by representatives from Lindsay Corporation (Zimmatic), who facilitated visits to irrigated farms in southern Kazakhstan and supported discussions on university-industry partnerships. Conversations centered on Kazakhstan’s urgent need to modernize irrigation education and address a national shortage of skilled water professionals amid rising water scarcity and growing dependence on groundwater.
The Kazakh government is investing significantly in higher education reform, including funding for graduate students and faculty to study or train abroad. These investments are opening doors for collaborative research, student exchanges, and joint educational programs. With shared goals in water resources, irrigation innovation, and smart systems, the visit highlighted strong alignment between Kazakh institutions and BSE’s mission and expertise.
