The project, aiming at strengthening cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan, addresses one of their common regional priorities – ‘Development of partnerships with enterprises’ which is on the lists of national priorities for both countries. The project is also consolidated by the shared environmental theme - a cross-cutting topic in the national and regional priorities for RU and KZ. The consortium includes 11 academic and 3 non-academic partners (2 enterprises and a research institute). It integrates both, experienced and new partners in EU projects.The wider objective is to contribute to empower universities in RU and KZ by enhancing synergy between higher education and enterprises in the field of Trans-Boundary Water Resources Management (TWRM).To achieve this goal the following specific objectives are envisaged:To develop a trans-institutional model for interaction between HEIs and enterprises in the field of TWRM;To enhance teaching capacities of the PC HEIs;To empower enterprises in the Water Sector in the PCs by developing support tools and staff training;To raise awareness of water problems;To create potential for internationalization.As a result of the project the following outcomes/outputs will be achieved:- a strategy for building ‘Industry–Academia Learning Partnerships’ and a methodology for TWRM developed;- an ‘Industry-Academia Teaching Task Force’ created and trained, the teaching environment at PC universities modernized;- new curricula and ECTS based courses in TWRM designed in cooperation with the industry ;- an e-learning platform designed and installed;- new modules in TWRM for industry in operation on a LLL basis and integrated into the curricula at PC universities,- supported by a digital library of course materials;- a Quality Plan for all project activities fulfilled;- wide dissemination achieved, including creating a water problems awareness in the society at large;- efficient management of the project implemented.

INTERACT aims for a geographically comprehensive and excellent state-of-the-art terrestrial research infrastructure throughout the Arctic and adjoining forest and alpine regions to identify environmental change, to facilitate understanding and prediction of future change and to inform decision makers about societally-relevant impacts. INTERACT is the fundamental building block and one-stop-shop for EU and international projects, programmes and organisations requiring access to northern lands, data and services, and includes a rapid response capability to potential hazards. INTERACT is pan-Arctic, multidisciplinary and crosses EU call domains by linking to forest, coastal, marine and atmospheric communities. INTERACT uniquely unites 77 research stations in a Station Managers’ Forum ensuring inter-comparability of information and excellent science support. A Data Forum improves availability of data by bringing data providers together with data users. Physical (7780 days) pan-Arctic Trans-national Access is offered by 43 stations and virtual access is offered by 29. An innovative TA User Community will stimulate new collaborations and improved information flow while new state-of-the-art educational resources will encourage young scientists. Joint research activities will ensure close cooperation between the Arctic Council’s biodiversity monitoring programme and station activities; develop new technology in a WP led by Industry to enlarge the research stations’ environmental observing footprints; and produce guidance for local communities to adapt to change. INTERACT’s incalculable legacy and societal impact includes aiding people to adapt to local and global environmental changes, recruiting the next generation of environmental scientists, offering access and opportunities to researchers world-wide and providing data and information to high level regional and global organisations and decision-makers.

Planet Earth faces unprecedented environmental changes that will affect all members of society. Arctic climate warming is more than twice the global rate and unpredictable extreme events cause major impacts on ecosystems and people. However, the Arctic atmospheric circulation causes extreme events and societal damage beyond the Arctic which need international research and monitoring to understand and predict. Furthermore, attitudes need to be changed throughout the world through outreach while the next generation needs to be equipped to live in a different world. INTERACT III innovates a pan-arctic network of 86 research stations in 16 northern countries to provide a fully integrated, advanced infrastructure now able to meaningfully address major societal challenges and provide services for 155 global and regional networks. Furthermore, the global reputation of INTERACT has attracted world-leading partners and enterprises to participate in reducing the impacts of hazardous change while maximizing the opportunities arising from new technologies. Specifically, INTERACT III provides comprehensive coordination of 64 partners and 86 research stations. The station managers design best practices to ensure excellent research, monitoring, education and outreach. INTERACT III builds on an extremely successful transnational access program that has already populated the Arctic with 900 researchers to further provide excellent science while reducing the environmental footprints of researchers through improving remote and virtual access. The access transnationality ensures new collaborations, innovative science and science diplomacy at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions. Station managers, transnational access and joint research activities cooperate to address major societal challenges in a fully integrated infrastructure while their data and understanding are made globally available through exceptional outreach and education and policy briefings to decision makers.