The visit and signing of the collaborate agreements marks the start-up of a joint program to develop a study program in innovative and sustainable ecotourism.
- This is a horizontal contract between Telemark University and their partners, and is expected to be of equal advantage to all of the partners, says Dean Arild Hovland og TUC’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences.

TUC’s five new project partners are:

• Issyk-Kul State University, Kyrgyzstan
• Kyrgyzstan-Turkey "Manas" University, Kyrgyzstan
• Kyrgyz Economic University, Kyrgyzstan
• Shota Rustaveli State University, Georgia
• Bishkek Academy of Finance and Economics, Kyrgyzstan.

TUC has already had a collaborative agreement with Bishkek Academy of Finance and Economics since 2008.

SIUsEurasia program

This new project is base don a previous joint project beween TUC and Bishkek Academy of Finance and Economics. TUC’s Department of Computer Science and Business Administration will administer the project, in close cooperation with the Department of Health and Environmental Studies, and the Department of Sports and Outdoor Life Studies

In order to carry through the project, Telemark University College has been granted NOK 5,1 mill. under the Norwegian State Department’s Eurasia program, administered by SIU (Norway’s Center for International Cooperation in Education). The project periode is three years, and all activities have to be compoleted by December 31, 2014.
The Eurasia-program is aimed at modernization and internationalization of higher education i the countries of the Eurasia region.

Tour of Telemark
A delegation of 8 leaders from the partners in Kyrgyzstan and Georgia have been in Telemark since Wednesday, January the 25th, and they returned home in the morning of January 27^th. On Thursday the 26th, TUC hosted a dinner at the Otherholt farmstead in Bø, Telemark. Also attending the dinner were Telemark County Mayor Terje Riis Johansen, the Mayor of Bø, Olav Kasland and TUC Rector Kristian Bogen.
Friday the delegation were taken on a tour of Telemark, starting in Bø, via Seljord to Morgedal and on to Rjukan and Gaustablikk where the group had dinner before returning to Bø.