To contribute towards achieving the objective – the promotion a better understanding of biodiversity issues, a quiz competition on the theme "Biodiversity and oil-and-gas industry" was held amongst the students of the Tashkent Chemical Technological Institute (TCTI) majoring in Chemical Technology of Oil and Gas processing. The Institute boasts of over 500 students who major in this subject. The quiz was organized with the support of the UNDP-GEF project ``Mainstreaming Biodiversity into Uzbekistan`s oil and gas Policies and Operations” and the State Committee for Nature Protection of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

Ms.Mahpuza Karakhodjaeva, the Provost of the Institute, gave a welcoming speech. The students were grouped into three teams – Oilgreen, Black Gold and Ecolife. Questions that were put across were categorized under these four topics: 1) Uzbekistan flora and fauna; 2) the concept of biodiversity; 3) Landscapes of Uzbekistan; 4) Processing of oil and gas products. The `Oilgreen` team carried the day, having exhibited great knowledge and team spirit. All three teams were awarded prizes according to their positions. Following the ceremony, the film `HOME` was screened for all. This film speaks about the importance of environmental protection and calls for biodiversity conservation.

On the whole, the quiz generated much interest amongst the faculty and students. For instance, Diyer Kabirov, a student, expressed that he could not imagine that obstacles that at first sight seem to be small or insignificant pose critical threats to animal populations. Another student, Shokhrukh Kholmatov, noted that the event has inspired him to think about the responsibility that each of us should accept for biodiversity conservation. "All that we have, we have received from previous generations and that is our duty and responsibility to preserve and appreciate nature and its wealth, and achieve sustainability for the future generations" said the student.

The students` interests in the quiz/event indicate that there is a growing demand for knowledge in the field of biodiversity conservation. It is therefore planned that more events be held to help raise awareness on biodiversity conservation. Thus, one of the suggestions arising from the interests was that the quiz on biodiversity conservation be held annually and organized amongst students of different universities.