Kick-off Meeting

The first official Kick-off Meeting of the international Erasmus+ KA2 DIANA project — Empowering Women through the Development and Implementation of Entrepreneurship in Rural Tourism in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan — was held in Kokshetau.

The event took place from February 2 to 4, 2026, at Kokshetau University named after Sh. Ualikhanov and brought together project partners to discuss key areas of cooperation, implementation plans, and the next stages of project development.

Representatives of higher education institutions and partner organizations from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Portugal, and Germany participated in the meeting, highlighting the international scope of the project and the importance of collaborative efforts in promoting women’s entrepreneurship in rural tourism.

During the kick-off meeting, representatives of Kokshetau University, acting as the project coordinators, introduced all consortium members and provided a comprehensive overview of the project’s key implementation areas, strategic objectives, and expected outcomes.

Special attention was given to project management, the distribution of responsibilities among partners, mechanisms of international cooperation, and the sustainability of project results in the long term.

The dissemination plan for the upcoming year was also presented, outlining the main stages of implementation, communication strategies, promotion of project outcomes, and engagement with target audiences.

It should be noted that the DIANA project aims to empower women in rural areas of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan through the development of entrepreneurship in rural tourism, with a particular focus on digital literacy, innovation, and digital transformation.

The project partners now look forward to active collaboration, exchange of experience, implementation of new initiatives, and achieving meaningful results within the framework of international cooperation.