Background

HUC is a thriving network of over 90 universities in the eight Hindu Kush Himalaya countries and across the world. The Consortium’s driving force lies in its Thematic Working Groups and cross-cutting groups: member-led clusters operating on a resource-sharing basis.

One of the key decisions of the HUC Steering Committee Meeting in Lanzhou in April 2023 was to establish a Sustainability and Resource Mobilisation Task Force. The Sustainability Task Force (STF) will act as an advisory body to the HUC Steering Committee. The STF will commence in the third/last quarter of 2023 and complete its mandate by the end of the implementation of the HUC Strategy 2025.

Within 10 days of open solicitation in early August, 12 Co-Leads of the HUC Thematic Working Groups, cross-cutting workgroups, and dedicated scholars signed up as members of the STF. Two Steering Committee members, Prof Tri Ratna Bajracharya (Tribhuvan University, Nepal) and Prof Nichole Georgeou (Western Sydney University, Australia), will co-chair the STF.

Objectives

• Discuss detailed work plan, with clear priorities, for the term of the STF  
• Assign specific tasks to each member and clusters of members
• Map resources that can be mobilised for the STF activities during its term

Previous HUC Task Forces

The Membership Policy Review Task Force (2017-2018) was co-led by two Steering Committee Members, Prof Xu Jun (Sichuan University) and Prof Ashok Gurung (the India China Institute). Based on a thorough review of the quality of HUC membership and the key lessons learned from the exposure visit to the International Secretariat of the UArctic (Rovaniemi, Finland, July 2017), the Membership Task Force proposed: i) To devise a membership fee collection scheme, to be discussed and endorsed by members; ii) the Consortium to consider expanding membership categories to include individual scholars, policymakers and practitioners as well as like-minded consortia; iii) establish a cluster focusing on resource mobilisation for the Consortium’s short-term collaborative activities and medium-term sustainability.

The Education for Sustainable Mountain Futures Task Force (2019-2020) was led by Dr Phanchung, ICIMOD Mountain Chair (2017–2019). It met in Lobesa, Bhutan (June 2019) and Kathmandu (February 2020), resulting in a well-crafted Education for Sustainable Mountain Futures Strategy, endorsed by the HUC Steering Committee and the General Assembly through e-voting. 

Agenda

Wednesday, 20 September 

Thursday, 21 September

Friday, 22 September

Saturday, 23 September