The fellowship unites unique people with different experiences and I think building on that we can and we should make changes in our countries and the region overall.

Uluk Kydrybaev, Kyrgyzstan, 2011

I truly believe that the programme helps to bring the best people, give them this experience - being united like we are a small UN here - and bring it back home and make our world better.

Bella Gazdiyeva, Kazakhstan, 2017

I’m working to improve access to safe water and sanitation, strengthen water governance, and enhance the capacity of farmers and other stake- holders to adapt to and mitigate climate change.

My team is behind TOMCHI – a mobile platform bringing climate-smart advice, financial information and practical tools directly to farmers. With more than 10,000 users already connected, it’s becoming a powerful driver of water-saving innovation.

My plan is to design a nationwide awareness campaign through TOMCHI, sharing best practices and insights from UK experts while expanding opportunities for farmers and technology providers to connect.

I want to be a changemaker – a collaborative, adaptive leader and impart this spirit to other people as well, starting with my own children. I think we need more such leaders at community level, to solve the challenge of climate change and water scarcity.

From the first days of the fellowship programme, I learned about the importance of inclusive leadership and governance. And how democratic principles and values are important in solving critical issues. It equipped me with a robust toolkit for strategic thinking and, more importantly, it gave me the practical preparation required to approach difficult dialogues and pitches with clarity and empathy.

Gaining firsthand insight into the work and debating culture of both the Scottish and UK Parliaments was invaluable. It strengthened my understanding of how to navigate complex legislative environments and advocate for more robust water and climate policies.

My individually tailored meetings and conversations strengthened my understanding of public communication strategies for climate policies, especially the value of community-led engagement rather than purely top-down communication. Euan from Scottish Water offered concrete examples of governance and operational models that are relevant to ongoing drinking water reforms in Central Asia.

The presentation by Dr. Matteo Fumagalli and Professor Rick Fawn from St. Andrews University was a profound intellectual reset. Drawing on my academic background, their analysis of the global and regional political economy prompted me to rethink the deeper geopolitical causes behind current events. It challenged me to look beyond immediate project outcomes and consider the structural shifts affecting our region today.