But what is green hydrogen? It’s part of the global transition to sustainable energy sources to develop a clean and renewable form of hydrogen produced using solar and wind energy. Green hydrogen, produced through the process of electrolysis that separates water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable energy, represents a crucial clean energy solution and is significantly cleaner than hydrogen produced with fossil fuels. It is already in use by the University of Delaware in batteries that power its buses, with more potential. As countries worldwide embrace this emerging trend, scientists in Uzbekistan, with its abundant solar and wind resources, recognized the significant potential for the growth of green hydrogen within its energy sector and embraced a partnership with this U.S. institution.

USAID’s Power Central Asia Activity supported this university partnership aimed at helping Central Asian countries meet their national and regional priorities in renewable energy. This time, through the American Innovation Center for Central Asia — a knowledge sharing platform established to support energy sector transformation.

“Together, we will contribute to progress and innovation in Uzbekistan’s energy sector and Central Asia,” he said at the official ceremony in Tashkent. “This collaboration will not only expand the knowledge and experience of our professors but also enable them to become catalysts for professional growth in the field of green hydrogen.”

These two universities have worked together for months to develop and implement a new curriculum dedicated to green hydrogen, specifically tailored to meet the needs of Uzbekistan’s energy specialists. This summer marked a momentous occasion, as they came together to present the results to faculty and students, as well as the Ministries of Energy and Education in Tashkent.

The collaborative training session was led by renowned expert, Professor Ismat Shah from the University of Delaware, who shared his wisdom to equip professors and researchers with the knowledge required to integrate the course into the university’s curriculum.

“The proficiently organized training workshop brought together a diverse array of organizations and academic institutions, which left me pleased. The dissemination of knowledge about green hydrogen is imperative, as it will become a necessity in the near future,” shared Professor Shah. His research, focused on designing new materials for water, energy, and environmental applications, distributed power optimization, among others, resulted in over 250 papers published.

“The training was extremely valuable for us as university professors. Ismat Shah shared his research on green hydrogen conducted at the University of Delaware and provided us with invaluable experience that will help us implement such a course at our university,” shared Dilnoza Pulatova, Associate Professor at TSTU’s Department of Alternative Energy Sources. According to her, the training will be the start of their own program.

The transfer of knowledge gained from this training session will prove instrumental in shaping TSTU’s future. By integrating a curriculum focused on green hydrogen, the university will produce highly specialized experts who can drive innovation and spearhead sustainable development initiatives in Uzbekistan.

“The incorporation of the discipline of green hydrogen will play a key role in technologies that meet the requirements of the 21st century for our university, and this curriculum ensures that our students will be prepared for the future, with the knowledge and skills to contribute to the sustainable development of the country,” said Vice-Rector, Ulugbek Mannanov. He emphasized the vast potential and sustainability green hydrogen can offer for Uzbekistan and Central Asia.