Official COMPASS launch and Minsk Dialogue Forum (22 – 25 May 2018)

The delegation of UWED representatives participated in the official launch of the GCRF-COMPASS (Global Challenges Research Fund- Comprehensive Capacity-Building in Eastern Neighbourhood and Central Asia: research integration, impact governance and sustainable communities) in Minsk on the 22^nd of May. The project launch took place in the Belarus State University and hosted more than 60 delegates including members of all partner institutions, Advisory Board members, GCRF Project Officer, representative from the Belarus Ministry of Education, Parliament, Presidential Administration and ERASMUS+ students and staff of the Belarusian State University. 

Project and Advisory Board members met again the following day for detailed discussion and planning of the work in the first year.

COMPASS also supported the Minsk Dialogue policy forum through a reception and participation of partner team members in a number of panel and break-out sessions as well as a keynote address by Baronnes Suttie, member of the House of Lords and the COMPASS Advisory Board. One of the core activities of the project is to maximise policy impact at regional and international levels and the forum attracted over 600 experts and policy-makers from 50 different countries. The Minsk Dialogue was opened by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vladimir Makei, and was attended by President Lukashenko, and major Ministers, and EU policy-makers.

GCRF-COMPASS project is led by Principal Investigator - University of Kent and Co-Investigator - University of Cambridge. Partners of the project are University of World Economy and Diplomacy (Uzbekistan), Azerbaijan Diplomatic Academy (ADA) University (Azerbaijan), Belarusian State University (Belarus) and Tajik National University (Tajikistan).