The Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) – an Initiative under ICIMOD’s regional programme on Mountain Knowledge and Action Networks (MKAN) – has its mandate in developing an effective, sustainable network of universities in the HKH, in collaboration with academic, research and knowledge generating and exchange institutions both within and outside the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region.

Universities and research centres play a key role in generating and sharing knowledge on climate change and providing evidence for effective climate change impact mitigation policies and practice. They fill crucial knowledge gaps and infuse technical content into public discourse that can influence policy makers and public opinion. The Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) was founded in 2007 with a mandate to develop an effective, sustainable network of universities in the HKH that collaborate with academic, research, and knowledge generating institutions both within and outside the region for sustainable mountain development.

The HUC Academy is a flagship annual intensive programme of the Consortium, providing cross-disciplinary scholarship opportunities to young researchers. It aims to create a new generation of transformational leaders committed to mountain research, who are capable of producing consequential knowledge, innovative policies, and environmentally responsible business practices to address HKH mountain challenges with transboundary solutions. The four signature features of the HUC Academy are: mountain focus; interdisciplinarity; field research; and, leadership.

The HUC Academy 2018, titled “Climate Science and Adaptation in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region – a Transdisciplinary Approach,” will take place in Kathmandu from 1 to 14 July 2018, as part of a two-year grant made to the HUC by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The project aims to advance knowledge of climate science and promote effective and sustainable adaptation measures. It seeks to scale up the impacts of previous and existing Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme (IHCAP) interventions to the HKH and promote regional collaboration between higher education institutions in India and neighbouring countries.

The HUC Academy 2018 aims to:

• Enhance scientific and applied knowledge on issues of climate change and adaptation in the HKH region
• Improve practical skills needed for competent academics, practitioners and future leaders
• Create an interdisciplinary network of teaching faculty and scholars in climate change and adaptation in and for the HKH