The “Digital Valley” IT Camp in Andijan, Uzbekistan is a joint effort between Digital City Technology Park, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). It is supported by the Ministry of Digital Technologies of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the Hokimiyat of Andijan region.
This camp is part of the “Shared Prosperity through Cooperation in Border Regions of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan” project, funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund. Its main goal is to increase cross-border collaboration on socio-economic and environmental issues between young people and women in target communities of the border regions.
The “Digital Valley” IT camp is held in Andijan, and its main purpose is to create friendship and cooperation in the IT sector among the youth in the Fergana Valley. It provides participants with knowledge about digital technologies and how they can be used for sustainable development. The camp serves as a platform to develop joint projects and increase the ICT potential of Fergana Valley, turning it into an advanced IT hub in the region.
The camp is open to 60 students with IT knowledge from the universities of Uzbekistan (Andijan, Namangan, and Fergana regions), Kyrgyzstan (Batken, Jalalabad, and Osh regions), and Tajikistan (Sughd region). They are divided into three groups, focusing on programming, graphic design, and digital marketing. Each group has a facilitator and attends lectures and speeches by mentors and guest speakers.
“This IT camp is a great opportunity for young people in Central Asia to learn about digital technologies and how they can be used to improve their lives”, said Mr. Yu Yu, UNFPA Representative in Uzbekistan. “We are dedicated to helping young people in the Central Asian region acquire the skills they need to succeed in the 21st century, including ICT skills. These skills can be used to access information and resources about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and to advocate for their rights and those of others. We believe ICTs can be a powerful tool for empowering women and girls and promoting SRH”.
Sherzod Umarov, Assistant FAO Representative in Uzbekistan, said, “Empowering and inspiring our youth to take advantage of the transformative power of digital technologies is essential. They are vital to nourishing our world and protecting the environment for future generations”.
The five-day camp is designed to give students the knowledge and skills they need for their future careers through informative and motivational lectures by IT experts and successful professionals. The camp’s curriculum covers topics such as an introduction to digital technologies, web development, app development, data science, and digital marketing. Guest speakers from the IT industry also shared their insights on how to use digital technologies to start businesses and promote sustainable development.
UzA