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American University of Central Asia

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American University of Central Asia
Американский университет в Центральной Азии
Борбордук Азиядагы Америка Университети
Latin: Universitas Americana Asiae Mediae
Former names
American University in Kyrgyzstan (AUK)
MottoKnowledge, Wisdom, Freedom
TypeUniversity
Established1993
PresidentJonathan Becker[1]
Vice-presidentChyngyz Shamshiev
Academic staff
310
Administrative staff
120
Undergraduates1200
Location
Bishkek
,
Kyrgyzstan
CampusUrban
ColorsBlue and gold   
Websitewww.auca.kg

The American University of Central Asia (AUCA) (Template:Lang-ru; Template:Lang-ky), formerly the Kyrgyz-American School and the American University in Kyrgyzstan, is a liberal arts university located in Bishkek, the capital of the republic of Kyrgyzstan.

History

AUCA began its existence in 1993 as the Kyrgyz-American School (KAS), a specialist school within the Kyrgyz State National University (KSNU) in Bishkek.[2][3] In 1997, it was established as an independent institution and given a new name, the American University in Kyrgyzstan (AUK).[4] Funding was provided by the United States government and the Open Society Institute (an NGO established by Hungarian philanthropist George Soros). One of its founders was human rights attorney and journalist Scott Horton.[5]

In 2002, AUCA adopted its current name, to reflect both that its student body was drawn from many countries, and the university's goal was to serve the entire region.[2] While the university focuses on offering higher education opportunities to Central Asian students, its student body and faculty increasingly come from all over Asia and other parts of the world.

In March 2010, AUCA established a partnership with Bard College located in New York State in the United States. The partnership allows students of American Studies, Anthropology, Economics, European Studies, International and Comparative Politics, Journalism and Mass Communications, Psychology, Sociology, and Software Engineering programs to receive liberal arts degrees fully accredited in the US.[2]

According to the USAID accreditation report, "AUCA is the first higher education institution in Central Asia that functions according to the American model, with a credit-hour system, an American-style liberal arts curriculum, and a commitment to democratic values, freedom of expression and inquiry, and academic integrity and honesty."[6]

The university is chartered in Kyrgyzstan and is authorized by the Kyrgyz Ministry of Education to offer the Kyrgyz National Diploma in eleven undergraduate programs and one graduate program, an MBA. AUCA also offers American-style diplomas, and students are required to take courses in both Russian and English.

Old Campus

AUCA old campus

The former main building of American University of Central Asia was constructed in the 1930s and was used by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Kirghiz SSR, and by the Supreme Soviet of the Kirghiz Soviet Socialist Republic.[7]

Portraits of Vladimir Lenin, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Engels still hang in the conference hall of the old main building of AUCA, while the coat of arms of the Kirghiz SSR is kept on the facade of the building.[8]

In 2008 Ishak Masaliev, then a Kyrgyz parliament member from the Party of Communists of Kyrgyzstan, called to change the location of AUCA, because of the "historic value" of the current main building.[9]

New Campus

The new building has four stories, centered around a forum that serves as the main meeting place. The main building uses geothermal heating and rainwater harvesting to reduce its environmental impact.[10] The building was designed by New York based architect Henry Myerberg and opened in 2015.[11]

Academic programs

Preparatory programs

The university offers full-time and part-time programs to prepare students for university study. The programs include an intensive course of English language learning and university-level academic classes.[12]

Undergraduate programs

The university offers American-style Bachelor of Arts degrees in 15 undergraduate programs:[13]

The university's General Education Program offers units from a core curriculum, that may be taken towards credits in any undergraduate program.[13]

Graduate programs

In addition to its undergraduate programs, AUCA offers professional programs in ten of Kyrgyzstan's "most needed specialties."[13] These are:

Library

AUCA Library provides information resources and services in support of teaching, learning and research. The library holds about 60,000 items in its print collection of books, textbooks, manuscripts and other materials. The library provides access to 24 online databases. The Library of AUCA partnered with Kyrgyz Libraries Information Consortium in 2006 to initiate Open Access in Kyrgyzstan. The American University of Central Asia acted as the pilot university for the Electronic Archive program.[14] Today, the library offers open access to 21 different resources, all listed on the website.[15]

Rankings

American University of Central Asia was ranked 138th among 449 universities from countries of the emerging Europe and Central Asia region in Quacquarelli Symonds EECA University Rankings of 2022.[16]

Governance

Presidents

  • John Clark - 1997-2000
  • David Huwiler - 2000-2004
  • John D. Dreier - 2004-2005
  • Ellen Hurwitz - 2005-2010
  • Andrew Wachtel - 2010-2018
  • Jonathan Becker - 2018-2019
  • Andrew Kuchins - 2019-2021
  • Jonathan Becker - 2021-present

Provosts

  • Kamilla Sharshekeeva 1997-2003
  • Gulnara Aitbaeva 2003-2006
  • Bakyt Beshimov 2006-2008
  • Hillary Clinton delivering her speech during her visit to AUCA on November 11, 1997
    Hillary Clinton delivering her speech during her visit to AUCA on November 11, 1997
  • Financer and philanthropist George Soros congratulates a new graduate at the Commencement ceremony of 2003
    Financer and philanthropist George Soros congratulates a new graduate at the Commencement ceremony of 2003
  • Vladimir Posner, Russian journalist and memorable spokesman for the Soviets, delivering a master class for AUCA students.
    Vladimir Posner, Russian journalist and memorable spokesman for the Soviets, delivering a master class for AUCA students.
  • Kjell Magne Bondevik, Former Prime Minister of Norway, delivered a public lecture on Parliamentary Democracy.
    Kjell Magne Bondevik, Former Prime Minister of Norway, delivered a public lecture on Parliamentary Democracy.
  • John Kerry at the opening ceremony of the AUCA new campus on October 31, 2015
    John Kerry at the opening ceremony of the AUCA new campus on October 31, 2015
  • David Petraeus CIA Director-designate in AUCA Library.
    David Petraeus CIA Director-designate in AUCA Library.

References

  1. ^ "AUCA website". Archived from the original on 2010-01-16.
  2. ^ a b c American University of Central Asia (AUCA). "History of AUCA". auca.kg. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  3. ^ DevEX. "Organizations: American University of Central Asia". devex.com. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  4. ^ "American University of Central Asia - AUCA - History of AUCA". www.auca.kg. Retrieved 2022-11-29.
  5. ^ Scott Horton Interviews The Other Scott HortonArchived 2011-02-20 at the Wayback Machine, Antiwar Radio (Dec. 11, 2010)
  6. ^ "USAID Accreditation Report" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-01-22.
  7. ^ "Брюзжание старого ворчуна - АУЦА, АУК,…,ЦК Компартии – немножко истории". Archived from the original on 2011-08-18. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
  8. ^ "AUCA: The Star Newspaper, May 22, 2008" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-05-25. Retrieved 2011-04-05.
  9. ^ "И.Масалиев считает, что АУЦА должен освободить занимаемое университетом здание на Старой площади - Новости Кыргызстана".
  10. ^ "Green Campus". www.auca.kg. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  11. ^ "American University of Central Asia by HMA2 Architects". Architizer. 2015-09-15. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  12. ^ "American University of Central Asia - AUCA - WELCOME TO NGA".
  13. ^ a b c American University of Central Asia (AUCA). "Academics". auca.kg. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  14. ^ UNESCO (2021). Kyrgyzstan: United Nations Educational, scientific and Cultural Organization. Retrieved February 14, 2021, from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/portals-and-platforms/goap/access-by-region/asia-and-the-pacific/kyrgyzstan/
  15. ^ AUCA library. (n.d.). Retrieved February 24, 2021, from https://library.auca.kg/openaccess/
  16. ^ Quacquarelli Symonds. "QS EECA University Rankings 2020". QS EECA University Rankings 2020.
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