We’re excited to share that Alice, Founder and CEO of The Corner Store Network, has been selected to participate in the inaugural Aral School in Uzbekistan, a new interdisciplinary postgraduate programme based in one of the world’s most environmentally significant regions.
Learning in a Landscape Shaped by Crisis
The Aral School is located in the Aral Sea region, an area profoundly shaped by one of the largest ecological and water crises of our time. Once one of the world’s largest inland seas, the region now stands as a powerful reminder of the impacts of extractive systems, water mismanagement, and climate change.
Bringing together both international and local participants, the Aral School is designed as a space for deep learning, collaboration, and experimentation. The programme explores regenerative responses to environmental, cultural, and social challenges, grounded not in theory alone, but in the lived realities of the region and its communities.
A Full-Time, Immersive Experience
Alice will join the programme as a full-time participant, spending six months on the ground learning alongside others working across food systems, water resilience, ecology, culture, and community-led change.
This immersive, interdisciplinary approach aligns closely with CSN’s belief that meaningful solutions emerge when we listen deeply, collaborate across sectors, and design with — not for — communities.
Bringing Learnings Home
Alice’s participation in the Aral School will directly inform and enrich CSN’s work across Australia, Timor-Leste, and future contexts. The insights gained will strengthen our approach to integrated food and water systems, climate adaptation, community-driven solutions, and collaborative design for resilient communities.
Learning from one of the world’s most climate-impacted landscapes offers invaluable perspective — one that will help guide how we think about regeneration, resilience, and responsibility across everything we do.
Following the Journey
Alice will be based in Uzbekistan from mid-January, and we’ll be sharing reflections, stories, and insights throughout the journey. Most importantly, these learnings will be brought home and woven into the work we’re building together, with our partners, communities, and supporters.
We’re grateful for the opportunity to learn, to listen, and to keep growing.