Recognising that investment in high quality education is the best way to prepare for change, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) invests in education to build human resources while fostering innovation and leadership in transitioning economies and communities within mountainous regions. In the Kyrgyz Republic, AKDN is strengthening the quality of -- and providing greater access to -- the spectrum of education including pre-primary, primary, secondary, university and adult education, led by the University of Central Asia (UCA).
The Aga Khan School (AKS) in Osh, which is part of the Aga Khan Education Services (AKES), currently provides over 500 students with quality learning experiences in an environment which values diversity and responds creatively to the educational needs of children. AKS offers instruction in both English and Russian.
Since the first graduating class in 2007, all graduates have advanced to further education at local and international universities. Since 2008, German as a second language has been integrated into the curriculum through the partnership between AKES, Kyrgyz Republic and the German Embassy in Bishkek. The German Embassy offered to provide German language subject teachers, professional development training and support for the preparation of students to pass DSD exams. The partnership with the German Embassy has given opportunities for our graduates to be admitted to German Universities and colleges, as well as employment following the completion of their undergraduate degrees in Germany.
For the past decade, the Aga Khan School has become an integral part of the Osh City community, offering innovative education approaches to both students and teachers. The School encourages students to master multiple languages, promotes the use of communication and information technology, as well as nurture the love of sciences by conducting annual science fairs. It challenges the students to be intellectually inquisitive and socially conscious, preparing them to become confident leaders so they may contribute their knowledge to the development of their country.
The University of Central Asia was established to promote the social and economic development of Central Asia, particularly its mountain communities, by offering an internationally recognised standard of higher education, and helping the peoples of the region to preserve and draw upon their rich cultural traditions as assets for the future.
UCA's first campus opened in Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic in 2016, second campus in Khorog, Tajikistan opened in 2017 and will be followed by Tekeli, Kazakhstan (2021). Undergraduate students interested in majoring in Computer Science or Communications and Media will enroll in the campus in Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic.
Founded in 2000, the Presidents of the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, and His Highness the Aga Khan, signed the International Treaty and Charter establishing this secular, private, not for profit University, which was ratified by the respective parliaments and registered with the United Nations. Click here to learn more about UCA’s Naryn Campus Inauguration.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
UCA’s School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPCE) 3,000m² learning centre in Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic was opened in 2011. The facility is equipped with state of the art learning technologies, two computer laboratories, four classrooms and a 7,476-volume library. Including SPCE’s learning centre in Bishkek, the School has become a leading provider of adult and continuing education, reaching nearly 25,000 learners in the Kyrgyz Republic. SPCE is a leading provider of post-secondary, short-cycle education in Central Asia, giving young people and adults professional and vocational qualifications that improve employment and income generating opportunities.
The Aga Khan Humanities Project (AKHP) promotes pluralism in ideas, cultures, and people by supporting the development and implementation of innovative humanities curricula based on the cultural traditions of Central Asia. AKHP initiates and supports curriculum and pedagogical development in universities, community outreach projects and institutional development through long-term partnerships. It has worked in universities in Kazakhstan as well as Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
In 2016, AKHP launched a Public Lecture Series in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic in partnership with the Kyrgyz National University (KNU). This series is designed specifically as professional development for KNU faculty and is open to university scholars, researchers and students. It promotes inter-disciplinary discourse between intellectuals, academics and students in the disciplines of humanities and the sciences. For more information on upcoming lectures, click here.
