AUCA Magazine Fall 2013

AUCA MagazineAmerican University of Central Asia

September 2013

Giving BackJenny Jie (AUCA ‘11) Founder of Unity Fund

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GENDER STUDIES SAINT PETERSBURG PHILOSOPHY

RUSSIA LANGUAGE SOCIOLOGY

www.bard.edu/bardabroad

4 AUCA Magazine | September 2013

AUCA Magazine

You may send your correspondence and subscription inquiries to: AUCA Magazine | American University of Central Asia, 205 Abdymomunov St., Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic 720040 | Tel./Fax: (996 312) 66-45-64, E-mail: [email protected], www.auca.kg

CONTENTS05

Editor’s Note06

Letter From The President

University Update:07

Edutainment at Issyk Kul08

Investing in Education09-10

The Music of Central Asia11

Sociology in Osh12-15

Constructing Commencement16-17

Summer Research Shorts: AUCA Anthropology in Turkey18-19

New Doors New Opportunities

20AUCA Travel Log: Nursultan Abdukhalilov

(AUCA ‘14)21

TSPC: Advocating for Human Rights

AUCA Spotlight:22-25

Empowerment in KyrgyzstanWho is Giving Back?

27Outline of an Entrepreneurial Volunteer

28www.volunteer.kg

AUCA Magazine на Русском:30-33

Акцент на конечный продукт34-37

Мой дух-моя крепость38-39

Alumni Spotlight

American University of Central Asia, founded in 1993, is dedicated to educating leaders for the democratic transformation of the region. It is the most dynamic and student-empowering education available, and is the only university in Central Asia with the au-

thority to grant degrees accredited in the United States. AUCA equips its graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary to solve problems and open doors in this rapidly changing and developing region and the world beyond...

Contributors:Natali Anarbaeva

Sarah KingEmily Harrison

Diana TsoiDinara Orozbaeva

Sven Stafford

Pictures: AUCA Archives

Bahrom TursunovEmil AkhmatbekovNatali Anarbaeva

Design and Layout:Emil Akhmatbekov

Publication TeamEditor-in-Chief:Sven Stafford

Copy Editors:Svetlana Jacquesson, Katarina Czarniak

On the cover: Jenny Jie (AUCA ‘11) Founder of Unity Fund by Marat Erkinov Abdykadyrovich

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5AUCA Magazine | September 2013

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Impending doom is never far away. In the Lutheran tradition, we believe that the level of doom a person experiences is somehow inversely proportional to the good works he or she does in service of others. This belief admittedly causes strange behavior, such as overconsumption of bland tuna-noodle casserole, and a craving for long, cold winters. It also led me to volunteer, first through church, then in Germany, and finally in Kazakhstan (where the winter suffering brings only one word to mind: amazing!).

There are a lot of reasons that people volunteer. Young people may want to get experience in a certain business, others may do it because they want to help a certain cause or group, and still others because it simply makes them feel good. During the Soviet Union, people volunteered because they were told to, and today, in a watered-down version, we call this corporate social responsibility. The reason we can still call it volunteering, and why CSR is being adopted by more and more businesses is, because no matter the reason for volunteering, it builds communities.

Stronger communities are better for everyone: poor people, business, edu-cation, government, etc. At AUCA, a lot of what makes the university unique to Central Asia stems from the student community that is cultivated from freshman orientation and continues through their senior year and then for the rest of their lives through the Alumni Association. In this issue of the AUCA Magazine, we highlight some of the volunteering done by our students and alumni, and you can see for yourself the bonds that these experiences have created.

Over the next year AUCA, in partnership with Peace Corps, the Roza Otun-baeva Initiative, USAID, and UN Volunteers, will launch a project to encourage more volunteering throughout Kyrgyzstan. Currently much of the volunteering that takes place happens within extended families. Young people are active outside of these groups, but the goal of the project is to convince youth that they have a stake in the strengthening of the wider community, to give them the tools and support they need to serve, and then to celebrate that service with the entire community.

On September 14th, AUCA will host a Volunteering Festival from 1:00 – 6:00. The 14th is also the launch date for a new website: www.volunteer.kg - a user-generated volunteer site that will be a forum for the volunteering community in the country. Everyone is welcome, and more information can be found on our main website, www.auca.kg, in the events section.

So whether you want to save yourself from the doom that awaits (it is never too late to start), or you really like the idea of living in an active and strong community, I encourage you to dedicate at least 10 hours per month over the next year to participate in a new volunteering activity that you normally would not have done. If anything, it will help you to get through the tuna casserole, the cold, and the impending doom.

Sincerely,

Sven StaffordEditor-In-Chief

editor’s note


Andrew B. WachtelPresident

GivinG Back

For the past few years at AUCA, the central required text for freshmen during our orientation is “The Allegory of the Cave” from Plato’s Republic. As is well known, Socrates asks his interlocutors to perform a thought experiment, wherein they imagine perceived reality as merely a pale simulacrum of actual reality, as if they were in a cave seeing not real people but only the shadows of real people project-ed on the cave wall. He imagines that a person leaving the cave and suddenly discovering the actual world would be disoriented and amazed by the brightness of the light and the wonders of reality. Then he asks whether this person has an obligation to go back down into the cave to explain the situation to those left behind and, presumably, to lead them to true understanding. Our students don’t have much difficulty recognizing that, as the beneficiaries of an AUCA education, they have something in common with Plato’s cave escapees. They express a variety of opinions on their level of responsibility to the com-munities they have left behind (family, peer groups, village or town, nation) but to us the important thing is that from the very beginning of their program they have to face the question of whether and what they should give back.

As they think about their lives over the four years at AUCA, stu-dents probably realize that “giving back” can take many forms. Many of our students volunteer in projects to help people less economically and socially well off than they are and they see that this giving back to communities can take the form of financial contributions, time, or attention. They also mentor younger AUCA students and provide leadership at the university level. We have also introduced a number of innovations to convince students of the contribution AUCA makes to their education (in the form of financial aid alone, we cover approx-imately 60% of the costs of student education) including providing transparent budget data, financial aid information that reflects the true cost of instruction, and a loan program to help students recognize that they are making a personal investment in their education. It is our hope that in the long run, these programs will encourage students to understand that they have benefited financially from AUCA resources and that, when they are in a position to do so, they should choose to give back to the university. And I am happy to report that in the past few years a number of our older alumni have chosen to make sub-stantial gifts to support student scholarships as a way to give back to a university that helped them when they were younger.

Even more than a financial contribution, however, we hope that at least some of our students will recognize that they do have an obligation to “go back into the cave” and assist their countries and towns with their talents and time. After all, the mission of AUCA is to prepare future leaders of Central Asia, and while we recognize that there are many varieties of leadership, it is our belief that the main give back AUCA can provide is in the form of young women and men who really will change their societies for the better.

President's Column

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EdutainmEnt at issyk kul

AUCA’s Continuing Education Center (CEC), in partnership with USAID, conducted a two-week “Edutainment” camp in Issyk-Kul for 33 students from Osh. “One World” (in Russian Единый Мир, in Kyrgyz Бир Дуйно) was organized with the goal of providing educational opportunities for students from southern Kyrgyzstan, as well as some summer fun.

The camp, organized by Studio AKME and SUN People in partnership with CEC, included creative master classes, activities to develop creativity and trust, sessions to develop personal growth, team sports and games, meetings with local role models, and, of course, swimming.

In the evenings the students got to use their knowledge through organized quiz shows, contests, and directed conversation. The students also got to show off their dance moves.

The 10-day camp was supported by psychologists and

professional coaches, who were able to create for the students an educational and entertainment-filled marathon.

“We are learning new things, and everything was so exciting from day one, that we did not notice how the days flew by,” said Bekzat Karybekov, a 7th grade student from School 27 in Osh. “One of my favorite classes was one on martial arts, which was physical, but also teaches you about focus and self-control.”

Aizhan Shared, a 9th grader from School 14 said, “I’ve made a lot of new friends, and learned a lot. The coaches are great, and create a lot of fun activities and games. We play, we learn, it’s great!”

The students were accompanied by teachers from their schools, which helped to create a safe atmosphere. “Our students are very open, and here they have really learned to express their opinions. We can see them getting more confident with each new skill they are learning,” said a teacher

from School 27.

The best events were the ones that featured successful young Kyrgyz people who came to mentor the students. Alumni from AUCA were particularly active in the coaching, spending extra time with the students after their sessions were complete.

The sessions were varied, and included a lesson in diction from local newsperson Mirza Dyuyshenbekova, as well as a demonstration of Wushu, an exhibition and a full-contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts.

Every day at camp was a new day for knowledge and self-awareness, and students learned to trust and communicate with each other, to work as a team, and to be better friends. For the 33 students that participated in the “One World” camp, we hope that their hard work will lead to a brighter future for everyone with whom they connect.

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Since 2007 the United States Central Asian Education Fund (US-CAEF) has provided over 100 Central Asian students with scholarships to attend AUCA in Bishkek, and KIMEP in Almaty. The students study business and economics, and when they graduate, are supposed to be champions of free markets in their home countries. Free markets in the region are sorely needed, as evidenced by the failure that was US-CAEF’s predecessor, the Central Asian-American Enterprise Fund (CAAEF).

Enterprise funds were set up all around the former Soviet space after the collapse of the USSR in the early 90s. These funds provided hundreds of millions in capital for countries such as Poland and Hungary, with the goal of promoting free markets and economic growth through loans and private equity investments. The funds were overseen by managing boards consisting of both local and American businessmen, and are one of the great foreign aid success stories of the past 20 years.

Almost every fund made a positive return on investment, the best performer being the Polish fund, which has since paid back the original investment to the US government, created and funded the Polish American Freedom Foundation, and privately raised over $1 billion in new investments. CAAEF, which was established in 1994 with an initial $150 million in capital, ended up liquidating its assets in 2004,

recovering only $15 million of the original investment, a 90% loss.

Stephen Weinroth and Steve Shea were brought on to the CAAEF board in the late 90s, after much of the damage had been done, to liquidate the fund and recover as much of the initial investment as possible. In stark contrast to the managing boards set up in Europe, the initial Central Asian board was conspicuously devoid of business acumen, which could explain the purchase of a $5 million spinning mill from Germany that could not spin Uzbek cotton. Although both Stephen and Steve had long careers in banking, there was little they could do to save the fund once they came on board.

Both men did believe, however, in the future of Central Asia as a place where business and free markets could take hold. With other members of the CAAEF board of trustees, Stephen and Steve sought a way to reinvest the remaining funds in Central Asia’s youth. In May 2007, then US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice approved the creation of the “legacy foundation” U.S.-Central Asia Education Fund (US-CAEF). The fund would, until depleted, sponsor Central Asian fellows to study business and economics at both the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, and at KIMEP in Almaty.

The fund started with 70 fellows in 2007, and by 2013 had grown to sponsor 108. Meanwhile, the successful management of the US-CAEF fund under the leadership

of Steve, Stephen, and the US-CAEF Board of Trustees, has prolonged the fund beyond its projected liquidation date, and created opportunities for 3-4 future classes of US-CAEF fellows.

us-caEF Entrepreneur: alina Zhetigenova (auca ‘13)

The purpose of the US-CAEF scholarships is to promote the free market. We caught up with an AUCA/US-CAEF Alumna who is up to the challenge.

Alina took a business approach to completing university, taking leave from AUCA for the opportunity to start a company, Dom 163, is now a popular hangout and event space in Bishkek. Alina started at AUCA in 2007, and was active from the start as a member of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), World Club, and Frisbee.

Alina was then chosen for an exchange opportunity to study at Kyung Hee University in South Korea, which opened her up to film and photography. After returning to Bishkek, Alina focused her energy on small businesses and startups, first working at the International Business Council, then at Namba Media, and finally creating a business plan for her own startup.

Alina graduated last spring, and Dom 163 is enjoying a second successful year of operation. She says, “We live in an amazing time, and we must apply our internal talents to make it even better.” Dom 163 is located at 163 Toktogul, and you can find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Dom163

invEstinG in Education

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“When she sang, a sense of peace overcame the classroom, which felt like a light, warm wind. Her voice was strong and bright, light and free, and made me forget about my problems.” It is rare that these kinds of emotions are invoked in a hot, stuffy classroom at a busy city university. However, this is what undergraduate student Gulzira Kamytzhanova experienced listening to her professor Dr Elmira Köchümkulova perform on the Kyrgyz instrument komuz, in a ground-breaking new course on Central Asian Music offered at AUCA, and designed and sponsored by the University of Central Asia (UCA).

The fifteen-week certificate course was based on the pilot edition of Music of Central Asia: An Introduction, a new textbook published by the UCA Cultural Heritage Book Series and edited by UCA senior research fellows Dr Köchümkulova and Dr Theodore Levin, who is also a senior project consultant for the Aga Khan Music Initiative (AKMI). The textbook is a joint initiative of UCA and AKMI, and provides a comprehensive and interactive ethnographic survey of the rich and diverse musical traditions of Central

Asia.The textbook and course are part of a series of UCA activities aimed at helping the different peoples of Central Asia preserve and draw upon their rich cultural traditions and heritage as assets for the future.

From September 2012 to April 2013, the course was taught to students at the UCA Aga Khan Humanities Project in Dushanbe, the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek and the Kurmanghazy Kazakh National Conservatory in Almaty by UCA research fellows Dr Will Sumits, Dr Köchümkulova and Dr Saida Daukeyeva, respectively. Co-editor Dr Levin also used the textbook in his Music of Central Asia and the Middle East course at Dartmouth College in the United States.

The course included a regional overview followed by a series of ethnographic studies focusing on particular musical repertoires, genres, styles, musical instruments and musicians within the two distinctive socio-cultural spheres whose symbiotic relationship has shaped Central Asian history: the nomadic world and the world of sedentary dwellers. The course also addressed music within the

thE music oF cEntral asia


context of other aspects of culture and social life. “Music and special moments in people’s lives have always been intertwined,” said Dr Köchümkulova, who contributed textbook chapters on music’s role in Kyrgyz social traditions,such as funeral rites and memorial feasts. Students examined the effects of globalisation on Central Asian music through the prism of musical fusion and hybridity, diaspora communities, and cultural revitalisation initiatives.

“Given that music is a moving target, constantly evolving and changing, capturing this dynamism in a textbook is tricky,” said co-editor Dr Levin. To meet this challenge, the textbook puts music at its centre, including 130 audio and video clips, and building the text around these pieces. World-class graphic designer Sonya Cramer, who previously worked with AKMI designing the 10-volume CD-DVD anthology, Music of Central Asia, released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, integrated the diverse materials in the textbook - narrative text, song transcriptions, call-out boxes, photos, study questions - and made it come alive. The course reflected the dynamism of the textbook, with weekly readings, group discussions, and critical analysis of live and recorded performances.

“Guest musicians visited our class, giving students the opportunity to hear the music in a more personal and intimate context. The students could interact directly with the guest musicians themselves and ask any questions they had. This was a unique experience, and provided powerful exposure which had a strong impact

on the students and their perceptions of traditional music and musicians,” said Dr Sumits, who taught the course and is supporting AKMI music programmes in Tajikistan. Students also attended concerts. “Attending live concerts and experiencing diverse musical performances helped me appreciate that music constitutes a large part of the culture and life of the people in Central Asia” said student Jibek Toktokojoeva.

Students were encouraged to make personal connections to the musical traditions they were studying. “It is important to me that my students are exposed to, and form their own opinions on, the numerous musical traditions of Central Asia, many of which they experienced for the first time,” stated Dr Köchümkulova, who performed on the komuz for her class. The performance was eye-opening for many students. “Viewing Dr Köchümkulova as an academic authority on a subject, I did not recognise that music is so important for her. I thought that she treated music as a teaching subject, but in her performance she described how music is sacred and highly meaningful for her” said student Gulzira Kamytzhanova. Fellow student Yelena Vorobey’s learning experience also became more personal: “We had the opportunity to write reflection papers on musical performances which forced me to examine why I had certain feelings and thoughts about each performance.”

Of particular value was the way in which the course focused on music as a tie that binds people together cross-culturally. With articles commissioned from 21 Central Asian, European and American scholars,

the textbook and course brought together both ‘insider’ and ‘outsider’ perspectives on the region’s music and culture. “Our aim was to present multiple viewpoints and multiple styles of music scholarship and show their value,” said Dr Levin. Dr Sumits concurred, “Developing an appreciation of traditional music from all countries as a living art form helped break down national, cultural, geographic and linguistic boundaries, and encouraged a cosmopolitan perspective that allowed students to appreciate regional traditions, other than their own.”

For Dr Daukeyeva, who heads the Folklore Research Laboratory at the Kurmangazy Kazakh National Conservatory in Almaty, the opportunity to teach the course in Kazakhstan was very exciting; “The textbook provides fantastic teaching material. It will undoubtedly serve as an indispensable guide to the music of Central Asia for students from around the world.” The textbook was also acknowledged as an invaluable resource on Central Asian music by her student Gulshan Sarimsakova, “I received in-depth knowledge from the textbook as it helped me to widen my worldview and knowledge on music in Central Asia. It also inspired me to compose new music, which is something I never expected from a university course.”

The textbook and course will be revised based on student and instructor feedback, and offered for broader instruction across and beyond the region. Several additional chapters are being commissioned to broaden the scope of the material. Preliminary feedback indicates that the students of the pilot course received an excellent foundation of knowledge about Central Asian music. But, perhaps more impactful, the course provided the opportunity to connect this knowledge to their own emotions, passions, and heritage.

For more information:

UCA Music of Central Asia: An Introduction course:

http://www.ucentralasia.org/trainings.asp?Nid=407

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socioloGy in osh

In May 2013, 9 AUCA Sociology students traveled to Osh, accompanied by 2 faculty, to collect data for their seinor theses. The research trip was sponsored by the Student Intellectual Life Committee (SILC), which provides over $30,000 every year for students to pursue research and learning opportuni-ties outside Bishkek.

shirin tumenbaeva: First of all I would like to thank SILC for giving us this wonderful internship opportunity in Osh. For many of us it was our first trip to this diverse and interesting region.

All of us enjoyed being in Osh and were thrilled to have the extended time with our professors and conduct research. We were all able to get individual attention and guidance, and I believe that it will make the end product much stronger.

The circumstances of being in a foreign location, even within our own country, challenged us to find new and creative ways to communicate and build relationships with people.

aizhan kasymova: I am doing my research on “K-Popers”, fans of Korean pop culture who dress and act like South Korean celebrities. I want to learn how these fans of K-Pop in Osh are combining the very liberal ideas promoted by the music and celebrities with the very conservative culture of the

city, and the influence of Islam.

The work I did in Osh was intense, mostly because of the limited time that I had to do interviews and collect information. I met with the professors every day to share informa-tion and talk about the obstacles that I faced during the day. I think that with the connections I made with the K-Pop crowd, however, I will be able to produce an interesting thesis on the dichotomy that is created through this fandom.

Evgeniya li: This was my first trip outside of Bishkek, despite growing up in Kyrgyzstan. It was exciting to go to Osh, especially because my research involves social mapping of bazaars, and Osh is an ancient trading city.

According to Clifford Geertz, “A bazaar is more than a materialized and capitalized place; it is a social place with specific methods of communi-cation, a cultural and eligious place.” Before the trip I also completed back-ground reading specifically on Osh and its history as a city on the Silk Road.

I had a great time talking with all of the people in the bazaars in Osh, and learned a lot about working with a team, overcoming obstacles, and meet-ing goals. I hope that the social maps that I am able to produce will contribute in some small way to how we under-

stand commerce in Osh.

Begaiym turdalieva: The topic of my project in Osh was: Understanding the concept of mahalla among citizens in Osh. A mahalla is an Islamic con-gregation or parish common in Russia and the former Soviet Union. Usually these groups are built around familial ties, and fulfilled local self-government functions.

I investigated through which dimensions the concept of mahalla was constructed, shaped, and understood by citizens in Osh. I did in-depth inter-views a in Osh, mostly among Uzbeks, for whom mahalla is most common in Central Asia.

Many Uzbeks that I interviewed talked about mahalla through the lens of the 2010 conflict in the south. The people I interviewed were very careful about how they framed their answers, and I could tell they were always trying to find the “correct” words to describe their communities.

I look forward now to forming this research into my senior thesis. The internship was great in terms of the opportunity to work independently on a topic that I truly care about. I really liked meeting the people in the mahalla communities, earning a part of their trust, and learning about their lives.


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Commencement, normally held in the larger concert venus located in downtown Bishkek, was held on June 1, 2013, amidst the concrete columns and floors that make up the base of AUCA’s future home. The area was cleaned, decorated, and made safe for the event, a process that took several weeks of coordination between the construction team and the Dean of Students, Nikolai Shulgin.

Students were initially skeptical of the plan, and at one point talked of boycotting the ceremony. The day before commencement at rehersal, President Wachtel sat with the senior class for over two hours to calm their apprehension.

“We decided to try something new this year. I think it was unique and interesting. By this, we are trying to show our students that the main thing in education is not finishing a goal, but the process itself. We did commencement inside of an unfinished building in order to show students that education is always open to them,” President Wachtel said.

The unfinished building and the

ceremony in the open air symbolized striving for more knowledge, and opening new horizons. AUCA is not the end, it is only the beginning.

“We are oriented to the future, not on yesterday, that is why we decided to step out of the usual frames and processes, and conduct this ceremony at a new place, which symbolizes future, ” President Wachtel explained.

At the very beginning of the ceremony, graduates and guests were welcomed by the Military Orchestra, which played modern songs and created an atmosphere of grace and fun.

At 10:00 the official ceremony started with the procession of presidium members and speeches of Dr. Wachtel, Pamela L. Spratlen, US Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, Edil Moldoev, Head of the State Inspectorate on Licensing and Certification under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, and William H. Newton Smith, Chair of AUCA Board of Trustees.

“Now with confidence you are ready to step out and be leaders,” Ambassador

Spratlen said (excerpt on next page).

After the speeches, Valeriya Melnichuk (ICP), and Madina Muratova (SOC), were awarded with special diplomas for the outstanding senior thesis.

4 Presidential scholars, Erkinbek Eldar uulu (BA), Valeriya Melnichuk (ICP), Nagornova Anna (BA), and Tilenbaeva Aizhan (IBL), were also recognized by President Andrew Wachtel for outstanding academic achievement.

After the procession of graduates, the 2013 Valedictorian, Saikal Anvar kyzy, gave a speech to all graduates.

“It was so stirring to stand on the stage and speak on behalf of all 2013 graduates. I tried to put all my heart into this speech in order to express gratitude to the university that has taught us how to be passionate, open-minded and self-confident. I am happy that I have another chance to say how much we, the graduates, love AUCA! At the end of the ceremony graduates let off the balloons and symbolically threw their graduation caps to the sky,“ Saikal said.

commEncEmEntconstructinG

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ExcErpt From amBassador spratlEn’s Graduation spEEch

Graduates, you are each now the proud owner of a supple, open, broad mind capable of sifting facts, filtering through contradictions, resisting rumors and the roar of the crowd. You can think deeply. You can write clearly. You can speak and act with authority. And you are ready to learn more. With confidence, you are ready to step out and say, “yes” to life.

I would like to dedicate my remarks this morning to my wonderful late mother, Dr. Lois Price-Spratlen. She died of cancer on March 30 of this year. While I cannot describe the sadness of being without her, I am proud of the many ways in which she left markers for my father, for me, my four siblings, her nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Though my mother graduated from college about 60 years ago, there are five gems of wisdom in her experience that I want to share with you.

Gems are precious stones, metals and natural materials that take years to develop and come, like you in many different forms. I hope you will make the figurative diamonds, pearls, crystals, silver and gold I will discuss today the treasure of your lives. The 17th century French philosopher and moralist Jean de la Bruyere said that “next to sound judgment, diamonds and pearls are the rarest things in the world.”

First, like many of you, my mother started life as a diamond in the rough. She graduated at a time of tremendous economic and social uncertainty for young people like herself – a smart, highly-educated African American woman when the world was not so sure it was ready for her. But, she made the world ready.

She invented her life from nothing but courage, smarts, faith, and hope. She was the daughter of an impoverished, poorly-educated, divorced, but wise washer woman. But, my mother knew she would make her mark on the world. She excelled in school and shared the role of class valedictorian with another student. Mother was rejected by the University of Virginia because of the racial segregation policies of that time. But, thanks to the help of a mentor and family friend, she found a place at Hampton University, one of America’s colleges set aside just for African Americans

after the U.S. Civil War. She eventually earned her diploma and pursued her dream of becoming a nurse.

So, gem number one is to dream big dreams, which are more precious than diamonds. If you really want something, do not be deterred. If one door closes, another will open if you keep pushing. Of course, the University of Virginia now accepts a wide variety of students, including African Americans.

Second, make it crystal clear that you will change the world. I am learning every day what a creative woman my mother was. She was the sort of person who, on learning about injustice, would find a way to attack it on a grand scale.

My mother was a nurse when women’s lives and opportunities were limited, but beginning to break past old barriers. For example, only doctors in the State of Washington could prescribe medication. This was true all over America. But, my mother knew that nurses have unique skills and sometimes know better than doctors what patients need. She launched a campaign and now, thanks to her efforts and those of the nurses and professionals who supported her, professional nurses in Washington State who pass a rigorous exam can prescribe medication.

Third, let’s talk about integrity, which is as good as gold. I’ll never forget the story my mother told me of her work in a hospital for the mentally ill. We lived in Ohio and I was very young. As the primary breadwinner, my mother was helping my dad finish his Ph.D. at Ohio State University. Despite family financial strains, she had rock solid integrity. A physician once realized that he erred with a patient and asked my mother to lie for him if questioned. He was male, powerful, older, and belonged to the majority ethnic group. He was white. But, she refused. She knew she had no part of the man’s troubles and would not be threatened. When she said no, he left her alone and never asked again.

So, gem number three is to live with solid gold integrity. Lots of people in this part of the world will try to throw you off track. But, your common sense, honor, integrity and peace of mind must be your constant companions. Never leave home without them.

The fourth gem is represented by silver, which was my mother’s favorite for jewelry. But, in this case it represents money. The Hungarian-American financier, philanthropist, and promoter of democracy George Soros was a founder of this

institution. Soros, who can buy any gem, believed that more than money, the world needs beacons of light and this institution plays that role in this region. It was in that same spirit that President Wachtel started the New Generation Academy to provide opportunity for Kyrgyzstan’s bright minds from families of limited means.

So, the fourth gem of wisdom is to give big for others. Soros was here for you and those who came before. You will be the financiers of the future who will help AUCA grow stronger for the next generation by dropping a bit of your silver into its coffers.

Finally, you are all the pearls of your families. Your educational achievements belong to you, but also to your families and all who helped you. Of course, you want to be successful. But, it’s even more important to be a fully rounded human being.

My mother had big dreams and that included having a family. She was a beautiful woman with a clear vision for the type of man she wanted to marry. She loved to tell the story of how she met my father on a blind date. Three months later, they drove up to her home in Charlottesville, Virginia, to marry just before my dad went off to fight in the Korean conflict. It was a good bet. They celebrated 60 years of marital bliss last September.

So, gem five is to find the pearls of your own heart. Financial and professional success will be so much greater a treasure if you share them with loved ones around you. Find a way to balance your ambitions and dreams for yourself with your love of art, books, family, and friends.

My mother’s happiest moments at her bittersweet end were to enjoy all five of her children, grandchildren, great-grand children and my father together. She lived her life fully until the very last moment. I hope you will too.

So, in conclusion, carry gems of wisdom to steady you in your life journey. Let me count the ones I shared again:

First, dream the diamond of big dreams. Second, find the crystal of important social change to create or join. Third, hew to the rock of solid gold integrity. Fourth, add to the silver lining of AUCA’s coffers. Fifth, enjoy the pearl of a happy life.

If you carry these gems of wisdom with you, you will be happy and successful, AUCA will grow, and Kyrgyzstan and all of Central Asia can become the prosperous, stable, fair, and welcoming place you want to be proud of.

Congratulations to each of you and all the best as you step out to make your mark on our precious world!

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thE kyrGyZ-turkish shuttlE tradE

Tatiana Efremenko went to Tur-key looking for more information on Kyrgyz shuttle traders, Kyrgyz women who purchase goods in Turkey and bring them back to sell in the bazars and stores around Bishkek, often without declaring the goods for tax purposes. Tatiana met with several of the women and went around with them as they searched for the best deals on everything from dresses to household appliances. She found that most of the women moved very quickly and adroitly as they met with their different contacts. She also found that the women had much more knowledge of the Kyrgyz market and appetite for goods than she would have thought initially. Tatiana says that to call the women “shuttle trad-ers” now really discredits what they are: businesswomen. This is even more true when you consider their inside knowledge of the customs laws of both countries, which they navigate smoothly as they bring products back to Central Asia. To continue her research, Tatiana is planning to look

at the impact of this trade on Kyrgyz women when compared to other women of Central Asia.

thE spiritual and Educational movEmEnt: FEthullah GulEn

Gulniza Taalaybekova is looking at the impact of Gulen schools in Kyrgyzstan. Fethullah Gulen is a Turk-ish writer and former imam living in Pennsylvania who has a strong belief in science, interfaith dialogue, and multi-party democracy. He has helped to establish over 1,000 schools around the world, and in Turkey and Central Asia they are considered among the best education available. Gulniza herself studied at a Turkish Lyceum in Bishkek, and is trying to measure the impact of Gulen schools specifically on Kyrgyz students.

During her time in Turkey Gulniza got the opportunity to meet several Kyrgyz alumni attending uni-versities in Turkey on full scholarships after completing a Gulen school in Kyrgyzstan. What she has found so far

is that these students see themselves more connected to Turkey and other developed countries. Gulniza says that there was hardly any talk of returning to Kyrgyzstan to be a part of the future there. Her research over the next year will try to look more closely at the cur-riculum offered in the schools and the students currently studying there to explore more the disconnect between the goals of the Gulen schools and the development goals of Kyrgyzstan.

FEmalE muslim idEntity and thE hijaB

Khatera Michael, an AUCA student from Afghanistan, decided to do her research on the hijab and its effect on the relationships between Muslim women in Istanbul. The dress was banned in 1925 in all public in-stitutions, schools, and universities in Turkey, but has since made a return as the current government has slowly lifted the bans. In 2003, about 64% of women wore the Muslim headscarf, and today that number has increased slightly to 69%.

auca anthropoloGy in turkEysummEr rEsEarch shorts:

A group of 6 AUCA students and faculty spent 10 days in Turkey gathering evidence for their senior research theses. For AUCA Maga-zine they have provided some initial insights from the data, and anecdotes from their experiences.

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In her interviews with women, Khatera found that wearing the hijab both in public and private spaces was an important part of women’s identity, and that it seems to communicate to other women an impression of dignity and restraint. Khatera will be looking at women living in different countries and their experience wearing the hijab, and especially the way that the hijab can be a signal and communica-tive tool between Muslim women.

thE tatar diaspora in istanBul and BishkEk

Yelena Gareyeva, a Tatar student from Turkmenistan, decid-ed to research the Tatar diaspora in Istanbul and Bishkek. She visited the several Tatar ethno-cultural centers in Istanbul and conducted a survey among the people there. She found that it has been incredibly hard for the community there to keep its language, as many of the participants could not speak with her in their “na-tive” tongue. Yelena sighted several possibilities for this, including the

international, multi-cultural nature of Istanbul, which requires Turkish and English for communication; the lack of formal and even informal places for speaking Tatar; and finally that the Tatar community in Istanbul is also very ethnically diverse, coming from several different countries.

Yelena did find, however, that other parts of the culture were being preserved, including dance and cuisine. Yelena also found that despite the Istanbul Tatars coming from several different countries, there was no internal discrimination among the Tatar community. Moving forward, Yelena will look at the diaspora in Bishkek, and then compare her findings.

thE kyrGyZ diaspora From thE uluu pamir

Timirlan Kalykov decided to spend his time among the Uluu Pamir, a group of Kyrgyz-Turks who came from the Wakhan province of northern Afghanistan in the 1980s, and have now settled near Lake Van,

Turkey’s largest lake. The people mostly engage in low-paid repair and construction work. The men also serve in the military and engage in trade, while the women make crafts and accessories. Several of the Pamir Kyrgyz have returned to Kyrgyzstan for university, where 12 currently attend the Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, but Timirlan thinks that more can be done to try and promote a bilateral di-alogue between the Kyrgyz in Turkey and Kyrgyzstan.

Among some of the other Kyrgyz Timirlan talked to during his research, he found that those with access to the Turkish Lyceums in Kyrgyzstan were doing very well, sending approxi-mately $200-250 per month home to their families. Timirlan now wants to focus his research on the connections between the Pamir Kyrgyz and the migrant Kyrgyz traveling between Tur-key and Kyrgyzstan, to see if there are cultural and educational experiences that can be shared to strengthen the whole community.


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appliEd mathEmatics and inFormatics (ami)

Students of the new AMI program will study the underly-ing models that fuel the global economy. Students will research financial markets, assess banking and insurance risks, and analyze the manage-ment of large systems. Students will also get the general education they need to build models that are better able to predict human behavior and promote the development of the region. The AMI program will have a multidisciplinary approach that will assist work on everything from environmental systems to psycho-logical disorders.

There is currently a great need for graduates with strong mathemat-ical backgrounds that can commu-nicate complex systems to a lay audience. Currently there are several mathematicians who are very influ-ential in the government, including past head of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic and past AUCA

Board Member Ulan Sarbanov. Young mathematicians are also making their mark, including Tilek Mamutov (AUCA ’08), a software engineer graduate who is now in charge of program development in Central Asia for Google.

AMI Graduates will be able to work in the banking industry, consulting, insurance and audit companies, industrial firms, serve as business and system-analysts, and database designers. Graduates will earn two diplomas, from Bard Col-lege and AUCA, and can also con-

tinue their studies at MA and PhD pro-grams in business, economics, applied mathematics, and computer scienc-es at universities around the world.

“The ed-ucation that we are planning will provide a more complex and com-plete knowledge of math, it will also develop critical thinking, computer skills, and an abil-ity to set and solve problems. We are currently offering two tracks for stu-dents: Economics and Geophysics,”

said Sergei Sklyar, Head of the AMI Department.

Underlying the AMI depart-ment is an outstanding faculty with 6 PhDs, and new courses includ-ing: mathematical analysis, differ-ential equations, probability theory, mathematical statistics, numerical mathematics, data structures and al-gorithms, programming in high-level languages, basics of software engi-neering and many others.

nEw doors nEw opportunitiEs This year AUCA opened doors to two new departments: Applied Mathematics and Informatics and Environ-

mental Management and Sustainable Development. Each program is bringing a fresh look and forward looking curriculum to address the needs of Central Asia in the 21st century.

Sergei Sklyar is a veteran mathematics professor, and now leads AUCA’s brand new Applied Mathematics and Informatics program. Professor Sklyar has two doctorate degrees in applied mathematics, and has published over 100 articles.

Before coming to AUCA, Professor Sklyar worked for over 20 years in different mathematics think tanks around the Soviet Union. He has done advanced research on hydrodynamic mathematical modeling, and founded the Mathematical Modeling Center within the Kyrgyz Academy of Sciences.

Professor Sklyar has been teaching at AUCA since 1999.

GivE mE a placE to stand, and i shall movE thE world.

archimedes of syracuse (c. 287 Bc – c. 212 Bc)

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EnvironmEntal manaGEmEnt and sustainaBlE dEvElopmEnt (Emsd)

The creation of the EMSD depart-ment was prompted by Central Asia’s urgent need for environmental leaders and AUCA’s mission to support the region’s transition to a development path that bal-ances social, economic and environmen-tal interests. The EMSD curriculum will also utilize a multidisciplinary approach, utilizing AUCA’s strengths in applied mathematics, economics, anthropology, law, and international politics.

After completing the EMSD pro-gram, graduates will be able to identify environmental issues in any geograph-ical or organizational context; collect, critically assess, and responsibly use a variety of analytical tools; analyze the causes of unsustainability in technology, behavior, and institutions; and make coherent proposals for change. The EMSD program will offer a minor degree aimed at students of law, international relations, economics, and business.

EMSD graduates will earn both AUCA and Bard College diplomas, and will meet the requirements for MS and PhD programs in ecology and environmental science. They will be qualified for jobs as analysts for NGOs and International Orga-nizations, environmental and sustainability officers for business, and government and research positions.

“Increas-ingly, inter-national develop-ment organizations (and national governments) are realizing that environmental issues are an important factor to incorporate into development projects. Climate change is also caus-ing many international business and non-profit organizations to develop proj-ects focused on adaptation to changing environmental factors. This has resulted in an increasing number of professional work opportunities, here in Kyrgyzstan and internationally. This trend is very likely to continue, as more and more international security and development concerns involve not only issues of defense and economic development, but also transnational environmental issues (use and fair sharing of resourc-es, transnational pollution issues, etc.),” said Daniel Cartledge, Chair of the new EMSD program.

Daniel Cartledge comes to AUCA from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he was an Associate Professor of Anthropology. Professor Cartledge has a PhD in Anthropology and Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Manage-ment, and has worldwide teaching, consulting, and research experience.

Professor Cartledge’s career includes many years of professional service, teaching and researching environmental, public health, and sustainability issues in both rural and urban contexts. This has included participation in interdisciplinary projects sponsored by the U.S. EPA, NOAA, the U.S. National Science Foundation, USAID, the Social Science Research Council, the EU, and ministries of forestry, agriculture, rural development, and education in several countries.


If you want opportunities to trav-el abroad during your university stud-ies, AUCA is the place for you. During my time at AUCA, I have studied for a semester in South Korea, participated in Model United Nations in Rome, and attended the World Business Dialogue in Germany. The best part is that for all of these experiences I was able to find scholarships and other creative ways to cover the cost of travel.

My semester abroad in South Korea was spent at Kyung Hee Univer-sity in Seoul. During my exchange se-mester there I met a lot bright students who were participating in different international conferences and business forums. Studying with them and see-ing the success that they were having, I realized that there was no reason for me to be shy about my abilities, and that my education was good enough to compete with students from around the world. I have always been a leader back in my Kyrgyzstani community, but this experience convinced me that I could be a leader anywhere in the world.

Because of my experience in South Korea, when I returned to AUCA I decided to apply for both Model United Nations (MUN), as well as the World Business Dialogue. MUN is a forum for young people to collaborate on solutions to acute problems around the world: poverty, hunger, gender equality, etc. It is also a very good place to hone one’s diplomatic skills. I attended the MUN in Rome, Italy, and it was my first time participating in a truly global conference. There were 1200 delegates from 66 countries and it was amazing to meet new friends and learn about their lives. During the debates, social events, breakfasts, and even in the bus we were building relationships. I am still in contact with several friends there, and hope that someday they will be able to come to Kyrgyzstan.

After MUN I traveled straight to the 16th World Business Dialogue (WBD) in Cologne, Germany. WBD is the biggest business forum organized

by students. There were 300 stu-dents from around the world, most of whom had already started their own businesses. For three days we had executive sessions, workshops and panels. I was the youngest participant there. During the conference I was trying to see what people thought of Kyrgyzstan, and the business oppor-tunities there. Though there was not a lot of knowledge about the country, the confidence and idealism of the students there got me really inspired to start my own business. One lesson I learned from the students/entrepre-neurs is that I should not be afraid to start a business, I should JUST DO IT.

Now when I do start my business, I will have an international network for advice and investment.

I would sincerely like to share my experience with all AUCA stu-dents. If there is anyone who is ambitious about travel, but needs help to find the right conferences, and financial support to make it possible, please feel free to stop me in the hallways at AUCA. AUCA makes it easy for students, and I hope I can help more students to have some of the same great experiences I have had during my time here.

nursultan aBdukhalilov (auca ’14)auca travEl loG:

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advocatinG For human riGhtstspc

The Tian Shan Policy Center (TSPC, http://auca.kg/eng/tspc/), a think tank within the American University of Central Asia (AUCA), is now implementing its new project, `“Program to enhance the capacity of NGOs and institutions to advocate for implementation of human rights decisions and standards to prevent torture.” This work is proceeding with-in the framework of TSPC’s human rights program. The project is funded by the European Union.

With the support of local and international partners, Open Society Justice Initiative, Golos Svobody, Independent Human Rights Group and the United Nations High Com-missioner for Human Rights, TSPC is conducting research and analysis

on international standards and best practices for the eradication of torture and abuse during arrest and detention in Kyrgyzstan. On 21 and 22 June 2013, TSPC presented its preliminary research findings on best practices as part of a meeting of the Anti-Torture Coalition in Kyrgyzstan.

Over the course of the meet-ings, participants engaged in produc-tive and in-depth discussions about existing regional and international models for the prevention of torture. Based on their individual experiences, participants also considered the po-tential for institutional and law reform addressing these issues in Kyrgyzstan.

“We hope that the Government of Kyrgyzstan will seriously consider the recommendations resulting from

this deeply researched project and corresponding civil society dialogue. Civil society organizations will contin-ue to provide all assistance necessary for their implementation,” said Sardar Bagishbekov, Member of Kyrgyz An-ti-Torture Coalition.

Throughout 2013 and 2014, TSPC will utilize the results of its re-search to convene further workshops and training where it can promote additional interaction and dialogue among all stakeholders on approaches to the prevention of torture.

This project is made possible thanks to the generous donation of the European Union in the amount of 148,855 Euros / 9498161 Soms.

university uPdate


What is charity? To find the answer to this question we sought out AUCA ’11 alumna Jenny Jie (Ensi Tszie), who has spent her life helping people and organizing youth for social movements and projects.

Jenny was born in China, to a Kyrgyz family. Jenny’s family played the biggest role in stimulating her desire to participate in social activ-ities, such as donating emergency materials or visiting orphanages and elderly centers. After she graduated high school she moved to Kyrgyzstan with her family and entered American University of Central Asia.

“My early education and cultural cultivation was deeply influenced by Chinese philosophy. I remember in my primary school, we used to have a course called “Ideology and Moral-ity”. It was about encouraging young students to take active participation in societal life, such as to help other vulnerable people. So, in my early understanding, doing something good to help others is a rewarded social be-havior, and it is the most basic moral good. By Chinese ideology, making a contribution to society is every per-

son’s responsibility,” Jenny said.After graduating from AUCA,

Jenny went to New York to pursue her master’s degree in Social Enterprise Administration at Columbia University. She talks to local young people, and participates in their social activities to learn about the American experience.

“Little by little, I found out that I DISLIKE the word “charity”. In today’s society, the concept of charity has been attached to too many additional indicators (political, social status, power and privilege, commercial) Instead of giving charity, the more urgent need is to empower people! As in our social work mission: to help the people help themselves,” Jenny said.

Jenny, and much of the aid and charity community, is focusing on cre-ating opportunities and empowerment. In order to develop our country and our generation it is not enough to sup-port vulnerable groups of people with money, food, and clothes. It is very important to give them the opportunity to be productive members of society.

individual GivinGIn order to clarify how Kyr-

gyz citizens understand charity and empowerment, AUCA conducted a small survey. The target group was students and young professionals. The results show that people consider themselves to be very active charity workers. A majority has volunteered with some charity project in the last 12 months, and 62% of respondents say that they have donated money, with approximately half of that group donating more than $100 in the past year. Within those monetary dona-tions, most go towards education and health care, but the survey was not detailed enough to look at the specific programs and whether young donors are discerning when it comes to giving to charities that are truly careful about their mission and programming. When asked why they give, only 2% answered “to empower people”.

“We need real diversity within our charity. For instance, creating hand-made New Year’s cards for elderly people, or people in prison, is good. Providing those same people with free trainings such as computer or internet skills, that would be great. All are parts of different types of

who is GivinG Back? charity EmpowErmEnt in kyrGyZstan

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by Natali Anarbaeva

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donations (time, energy, intelligence, & finance), but we need to think more carefully about how we use each,” Jenny said.

Kyrgyz charity is mostly about money for food and other small non-perishable items. Fewer people are willing to give their time and resources to really think about how to empower the most vulnerable strata of socie-ty. 33% of the survey respondents belonged to a charity at the time of the survey. The most popular were Rotaract and Unity Fund.

Jenny and two other AUCA alumni, Karlygach Nurmambetova and Nadia Pak, founded Unity Fund in 2010. The impetus for Unity Fund was the tragic events in Osh, riots and clashes between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in southern Kyrgyzstan. At the beginning they were a very small group of young people who raised money to purchase medical supplies for the victimized families in the southern regions of Kyrgyzstan. Later, more AUCA students and FLEX alumni joined this small initiative, and after the worst was over, Jennie and her co-founders decided to continue to grow their group.

Unity Fund now creates projects to empower the youth of Kyrgyzstan. For instance, students of AUCA and members of Unity Fund, with the sup-port of Kumtor Operating Company, Global Youth Service, and American Councils, organized a 6-day camp for residents of 3 orphanages in the

Chuy region. Based on a merit-based competition, 20 children were invited to join the project Eco-Caravan 2013.

“The main goals of the project were to empower young leaders for our country and ignite the spirit inside of them, so that they can strive to learn more and develop the skills and networks they need to be successful. As a result of their circumstances, underprivileged children are very lim-ited in their ability to make long-term decisions and investments, and often have nobody to guide them to the few opportunities that do exist for them in Kyrgyzstan. They are very dependent on their peers, homes, social norms of their environment, and the govern-ment. We tried to prove the opposite. We empowered them through educa-tion in three different areas - environ-ment, leadership, and tolerance, and also by providing personal examples of success, using the FLEX exchange students and AUCA students from limited means to prove that resources exist.” Nadia Pak said. With the help of this project on empowerment, these children now have the goal to study, and some of the support they need to get there.

Rotaract, a student group supported by the local Rotary Club of Bishkek, was one of the first to be established after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and is today a collection of 25 young students and profession-als who try to look at charity locally and internationally. Rotaract provides

the opportunity for young men and women to enhance their knowledge and skills, and assist them in their personal development to address the physical and social needs of their communities. In doing this, they promote better relations between all people worldwide through a frame-work of friendship and service.

“Rotaract Club gave me great ex-perience in managing projects,conflict resolution, taught me responsibility and leadership, and showed me the world from the side of the less fortu-nate. It acquainted me with people, who just like me, want to make the world better,” Nursultan Anarbekin (AUCA ’14), the President of Rotaract Club said.

csr in kyrGyZstanThe survey covered individual

attitudes towards charity, but across the world corporations are by far the largest suppliers of private charity. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become common over the last ten years as corporate profits around the world have severely outpaced wage growth for workers. This trend is quickly coming to Central Asia, where income inequality is more obvious. Though currently there isn’t the same pressure on corporations here as in the West to participate in CSR activi-ties, many businesses are beginning to see the many advantages of actively pursuing a CSR strategy.

According to Mallen Baker, a

FIRST Day of Unity Fund - Nadia Pak, Jenny Jie (Ensi Tszie) and Karlygach Nurmanbetova shopping for supplies in Dordoi Bazaar.

auCa sPotlight


writer, speaker and strategic advi-sor on CSR, “CSR has been defined much more in terms of a philanthrop-ic model. Companies make profits, unhindered except by fulfilling their duty to pay taxes. Then they donate a certain share of the profits to charitable causes. It is seen as tainting the act for the company to receive any benefit from the giving.”

In order to understand this in a Central Asian context we met with the marketing department at Beeline, a regional mobile operator, to talk about how they have grown in their CSR mission.

Beeline supports disadvantaged social groups by arranging several types of charity campaigns. Beeline actively supports nursing homes and retired people by giving clothes, furni-ture, and groceries. The Company also supported the psycho-neurological or-phanage in the village of Belovodskoe. Beeline annually holds events for the veterans of the Great Patriotic War, which includes charitable SMS-cam-paign for Beeline subscribers and free calls for the veterans in different part of the World. These activities are rela-tively common across all businesses in Bishkek, but Beeline has also devel-oped a new project that does focus on

empowerment.Beeline now provides access to

the Internet in rural areas in Kyr-gyzstan. The first trial center was established in Bala-Aileuichi village, in the Chuy region, providing a connec-tion to a secondary school and a post office. The centers are used to teach IT lessons to school children. After hours, any villager can come in and browse the Internet, receive e-mail, print a document, make copies and deposit money to their cell phone accounts.

“Socially responsible business is an investment in a stable socio-po-litical and economic outcome in the country where a business develops. This is a long-term investment, which leads to the creation of a favorable social environment and, consequently, obtaining a sustainable profit. That is, social responsible business not only helps to work in the future, it helps businesses realize the need for development, security and stability,” Olesya Kushchenkova, a leading expert of Beeline , said.

Another example of an empow-erment-focused organization is Mina Group. This company specializes in commodity trading and full-cycle logistics for delivery of oil products to regions with challenging business and

security environments. In Kyrgyzstan, Mina Group is sponsoring high-school students from rural areas, who have an opportunity to study at AUCA’s New Generation Academy program, and then, after passing entrance exams, enter the university and study on full scholarship.

Here we see that strategic CSR, investing in people’s empowerment, can also lead to better business outcomes for the corporations that sponsor the interventions. It may seem counterintuitive to cheer this outcome, since the original impetus for the inter-vention in the first place is the social and economic inequality that these businesses are at least passively pro-moting. The hope is that the citizens will not become complacent in the face of minor improvements, and in the end will demand to be empowered more through, initially, CSR efforts, and in the end by the government and a more evolved social safety net.

crEatinG a social saFEty nEt

Such a social safety net is slowly appearing in Kyrgyzstan. Though the government is currently loathe to outsource its services to NGOs, the practice is common across the US, Europe, and East Asia. These organiza-

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tions have the experience of delivering key services in the most efficient way, and are the building blocks for what one day should be a stronger safety net. One such NGO is called Orphans Protection and Support, which was opened one year ago by a young man, Isken Baibosunov. Its mission is to finance and help orphanages in the Kyrgyz Republic. Isken works by himself, and he is not yet supported by any grants or government funding.

“I applied for a grant only once, but failed. I am not going to wait for the government though, I will do everything by myself,” Isken said.

Orphans Protection and Support-gets help from ordinary citizens, who donate clothes and money for food, and from Isken’s friends, who help him.

“Most of the time I spend money from my own pocket in order to help children in orphanages. I also get help from my old friends and ex-colleagues abroad. It is hard for local people to understand and supportmy efforts, and the government does not care most of the time. It is not only their fault. Our people are used to waiting for “magic,” thinking that someone will give them a grant, or will support them financially. That is why most of the orphanages

are in such terrible condition. Our people need to understand that if they want something, they need to achieve it by themselves, they must not wait,” Isken said.

Orphans Protection and Support is also starting to concentrate on children empowerment. This special program is called “Intellectual Devel-opment.” The center works with local psychologists to council the orphans and helps them to make better deci-sions. Several articles that have come out in psychological journals have tried to make the case that people are not poor because they make bad decisions, but rather that they make bad decisions because they are poor. This type of intervention is not going to make the children materially better off, but it can give them some of the tools they need to make a judgment be-tween a good decision and a bad de-cision. Eventually, NGOs like Orphans Protection and Support might be able to provide the material and economic security necessary for the students to sincerely thrive.

“What we provide gives a child an intellectual, cultural, and mor-al education. The kids listen to our guests very carefully and see them as role models, so they want to be able to

help in the future,” Isken said.Isken Baibosunov decided to

share a memorable story that has stuck with him over this past year. “We visited one of the orphanages and brought food for the children, played with them, talked to them, and just gave them the feeling that they are needed and loved. At the end of our visit, I was ready to sit in the car and drive home, when a little boy ran to me, he could hardly speak, because he was too small, and he looked at me and said, “Thank you so much!” and ran away. I still remember this touching moment and his eyes. I work for these moments. I want all children be happy, because they are our next generation. They are the country’s future.”

This story is heartwarming, and also reminds us that helping others is not just a moral act, but also that it is a distinctly human act. After relating this story to Jenny Jie, she said, “Everyone of us is presented a unique talent and strength in this life. It doesn’t matter how successful we are. What matters is how meaningful we live in our personal life and in our common society,”.

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In May 2009 Jyldyz Sattarova (AUCA ’08) did what every young Kyrgyz woman does, and moved to Macedonia for a year to volunteer. As a member of AIESEC, the largest international youth volunteer organization, Jyldyz coordinat-ed volunteers and projects across Mac-edonia. For her effort, AIESEC provided an apartment, a visa with no right to work, and the opportunity to have a life changing experience.

Of course, despite the demand from Balkan men, most Kyrgyz women are not rushing to Macedonia. Some Kyrgyz politicians would even make it illegal for women under 23 to leave the country without their father’s permis-sion. Underlying the law are a lot of ig-norant men, but also a lot of legitimate fears of traveling abroad including sex trafficking and forced labor. About 20% of the Kyrgyz population are migrant workers, mostly in Kazakhstan and Russia, and many of them are unaware of their rights as laborers.

Jyldyz’s parents might have understood her better had she told them she was moving to Tomsk to work in a factory. Their first reaction upon hearing that she was going to Macedonia was, “And you’re doing this for free?” As dan-gerous as Russia can be for migrants, there is also the danger that a person will run into some money.

Jyldyz’s parents were very quickly supportive, providing her with the money she needed for the plane ticket to Skop-je. Their initial reaction was probably very similar to all such conversations that go on around the world between parents and their unexpectedly adventurous chil-dren. Why does a young person with a university degree and a network of local support, leave to pursue an opportunity in a completely unknown part of the world, with no friends, a strange culture, and no money? It’s fun.

Volunteering in another country is an entrepreneurial activity. We as-sociate entrepreneurship with bravery, vision, and fortitude, all of which are necessary for an international volunteer to succeed. The simple act of stepping off a plane and thinking that you can

make a difference in a strange place requires copious amounts of bravery, and perhaps a teaspoon of cognitive dissonance.

At the time she left for Macedo-nia, Jyldyz spoke 5 languages, none of which was Macedonian. She had little to no money of her own, and had to trust herself that she would be able to figure it out when she go there. Her only housing option was a small apartment that she had to share with two other AIESEC volunteers, requiring flexibility and no small amount of patience. Patience and flexibility are easy when you are at home and in control. Giving up control, living with uncertainty, all while maintaining grace and calm is brave.

Volunteering also takes vision. You have to be able to imagine a better situation than currently exists, and you have to use the limited resources at your disposal to get there. Jyldyz identified, created, and matched vol-unteers with projects in Skopje, Ohrid, and Prilep. Having such vision is risky, because it puts your beliefs out in the open. Volunteers who can manage this risk successfully not only get the op-portunity to impact the lives of others, but also learn skills that serve them the rest of their lives.

The skills Jyldyz obtained volunteering – project management, budgeting, research, public speaking – then transferred directly upon her return to Kyrgyzstan and paying jobs (Thank God!) at Save the Children and later at International Resource Group. In the spirit of entrepreneurship, it is the risk takers who get the rewards, and it is no different for international volunteers.

Not every risk is wise, and not every risk-taker is rewarded. It takes diligence and fortitude to get through the hard times, and entrepreneurs and volunteers, for a variety of reasons, are not always able to persevere. For Jyldyz there were a couple things that helped her through her year in Mace-donia, and that keep her volunteering to this day back in Kyrgyzstan. One is that from a very young age she was active in different school events and

volunteering opportunities, which allowed her to trust that what she was doing was, in fact, good. Another is the fun of getting to meet people from around the world, and the rush from seeing that among such diversity there can be common goals.

The great part about both entrepreneurs and volunteers is that once they start creating they never stop. When we sat down to talk for this article, Jyldyz mentioned the lack of opportunities for volunteering in Kyrgyzstan. Since returning from Macedonia she has volunteered with several organizations, including a youth leadership project that she organized with the Kyrgyz National Olympic Committee and Generations For Peace, a global non-profit. In that project Jyldyz and her partner Aibek Adigineev, trained 35 youth leaders from around the country to promote responsible citizenship through sports.

Creating opportunities where none existed before is why we praise entrepreneurs, and why we should do better to praise volunteers. Every vol-unteer that contributes time is making a statement about their values, and what kind of society they want to live in. Creating the space for those people to contribute to that society takes the bravery, vision, and fortitude of those entrepreneurial volunteers of all ages, and from around the world. Jyldyz is an example for all Kyrgyz volunteers. In the future it would be great if all Kyrgyz youth asked themselves, “Why stay here when I could go volunteer in Macedonia?”

voluntEEroutlinE oF an EntrEprEnEurial

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To people who grew up in the Soviet Union, volunteer is a loaded word. Volunteering was something that was forced on people, not some-thing they did of their own volition. Even today, when the majority of university students never lived one day under a Soviet regime, volunteering carries the stench of Saturday clean-ups that still persist in the secondary schools around the CIS.

The idea of volunteering from the heart, advanced in 2013 by Am-bassador Spratlen and the US Peace Corps in Kyrgyzstan, is a powerful idea that has yet to take hold in the post-Soviet space. In a region with so many at-risk and unemployed youth, creating a culture of volunteering that promotes trust, reciprocity, and oppor-tunities for volunteers is vital.

Volunteers are proselytizers. Whenever a person performs an action without payment, they are showing their values, and influencing the actions of others. Sometimes these values are things most of us can agree on, such as helping old ladies across

the street, giving clothes to orphans, and picking up trash.

More often, the values that vol-unteers and organizations promote are more contentious. As a former Peace Corps volunteer I taught English in secondary schools. Many non-native English speakers see English as a nec-essary skill for the modern world, but it also naturally promotes the values of the English-speaking world, and is one of the reasons why you can find the best minds of the world’s developing countries at universities predominantly in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

Religious volunteers are by far the best, because their reward in the afterlife is tied to spreading the word of God(s) during their actual life. I bet that just as many of you reading this article pictured a Jehovah’s Witness as pictured feeding the hungry. The spectrum is vast, but through each in-teraction volunteers communicate their beliefs to society as a whole, and have the power to change that society.

So it is not just that we want people to volunteer from the heart,

we want them to volunteer from the heart for the good of society. I will not venture to say what “the good of society” is for Kyrgyzstan, but I know it is not a protest where every volunteer has been paid $10 to shout what he is told, and I know it is not found in China, Russia, or the United States.

AUCA is creating a tool de-signed to get more people involved in volunteering for the good of society. Together with Peace Corps, the Roza Otunbaeva Initiative, and UN Volun-teers we are releasing www.volunteer.kg, a user-generated content site where volunteers can post projects, recruit community members, and find resources from project design to sustainable financing.

What “the good of society” means, the site will leave for the users to decide. The site will be governed by a council of volunteers, who will have a mandate to take down any projects that promote hate or distrust among two communities, as well as projects that simply promote the individual or corporation.

www.voluntEEr.kG

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Ведущее учебное заведение республики по подготовке высокопрофессиональных управленцев среднего и высшего звена для органов государственной и муниципальной власти претерпевает реформу. Как и почему?

Шамшиев Чингиз Болотбекович Ректор Академии государственного управления

при Президенте КР. Выпускник факультета экономики Гренобльского университета, доктор экономических наук, профессор, научный сотрудник Центра экономических исследований Университета Париж 8 и Центра экономической политики Гренобльского университета. Член Французской ассоциации экономической науки. Член Ассоциации по исследованиям экономической мысли им. Шарля Жида.

- Чингиз Болотбекович, давайте поговорим о реформе АГУПКР, проведение которой возложено на Ваши плечи. Какова миссия АГУПКР?

- Учредителем академии выступает Президент страны. Это накладывает большую ответственность на нашу работу и определяет специфику нашей деятельности. Впервые за долгие годы в нашей стране глава государства Алмазбек Атамбаев всерьез

взялся за борьбу с коррупцией и реформы во многих сферах, в том числе в сфере госуправления и образования. Эта масштабная работа нацелена на долгосрочную перспективу и требует компетентные кадры, которые необходимо готовить. Академия должна внести свой вклад в подготовку кадров нового поколения. Миссия у нас двойная. Во-первых, АГУПКР является особым специализированным учреждением по подготовке управленческой элиты страны. Она призвана стать кузницей высших управленческих кадров. Во-вторых, Академия является научным и аналитическим центром по изучению, просчету, выработке рекомендаций для высших органов власти страны. Именно для приведения деятельности вуза в соответствие с этой миссией и была проведена реформа Академии государственного управления.

-Последние годы академия превратилась в один из заурядных вузов, где готовят студентов по коммерческим направлениям. Это правда?

- Ну не все, конечно, было плохо. Какой-то уровень Академия сохраняла. Но, увы, общая картина, действительно, напоминала заурядный вуз.

-В чем это выражалось?

АКцент нА КонеЧный ПРодУКт

AUCA mAgAzine НА РУссКОМ

БеседоВАлА динАРА оРозБАеВА

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- Во многом. Раньше только 94% контингента учащихся обучались по профилям, имеющим отношение к госуправлению, все остальные учились по бизнес-направлениям. Был раздутый контингент студентов: ежегодно принимали свыше 800 человек! При этом дополнительное образование госслужащих было на задворках приоритетов Академии: в год лишь около 500 служащих проходили здесь обучение. При этом сертификаты выдавались всем подряд, за факт простого физического присутствия. Исследовательская работа практически не осуществлялась. Качество образования сильно отставало от международных стандартов. Отсутствовала систематизированная политика набора преподавателей. Это приводило к тому, что медик преподавал финансы, а историк – бухучет. Практически не было преподавателей с опытом управленческой работы в госуправлении. Наблюдалась острая нехватка качественных управленческих кадров. Был раздутый штат сотрудников, фиктивные сотрудники. У рядовых работников были мизерные зарплаты: к примеру, методисты или лаборанты получали от шести до семи тысяч сомов. сейчас мы рядовым сотрудникам подняли оплату труда в 2,5 раза. Разрыв между зарплатой ректора и зарплатой рядового сотрудника сократили с 7,8 раза до 3,3 раза. Была запутанная структура управления, никто не знал точное количество сотрудников и преподавателей. Проверка расчета часов выявила грубые нарушения. Наблюдалось низкое качество учебных планов. Была слабая студенческая дисциплина, студенты занимались поголовным списыванием во время экзаменов и модулей. Были такие, которые

с задолженностями за первый курс успешно оканчивали последний курс. Некоторые вообще не ходили на занятия, проживали в России, но при этом успешно получали дипломы. Преподавательская дисциплина тоже оставляла желать лучшего: для некоторых преподавателей было нормой срывать занятия, не сдавать отчетную документацию, не отмечать пропуски учащихся, готовить некачественные экзаменационные задания и ставить высокие оценки за откровенно списанные с

интернета дипломные работы. Перечислять проблемы можно долго, но суть я, думаю, изложил. Вот со всем этим мы и начали бороться.

- Президент Кыргызстана является учредителем АГУПКР и требует повышения качества обучения. Каковы успехи на сегодняшний день?

- Нам удалось немало. Лейтмотивом реформы была идея, что Академия должна готовить в небольшом количестве высококомпетентных и высоконравственных топ-менеджеров для госуправления. Если Академия этим не будет заниматься, этого не сможет и не будет делать ни одно учреждение в стране. Быстро к этой цели прийти невозможно, но нужно действовать планомерно и решительно. За год мы сократили прием студентов на 44% и будем еще сокращать. Набор на 100% осуществляется на профили, готовящие госуправленцев. В два этапа разработаны новые, единственные в стране, учебные планы по профилям

госуправления. При этом за основу взят лучший мировой опыт. За год мы увеличили в 3 раза количество мест для бесплатного очного обучения будущих и действующих госслужащих, за счет госбюджета и немецкого гранта. При этом значительно повысили оплату за контрактное обучение. Это необходимо, чтобы повысить стимулы студентов. Академия отныне обучает не менее 3 тысяч действующих служащих по всей стране ежегодно, а со следующего года выйдем на уровень 5 тысяч.

сертификаты выдаются только тем служащим, которые успешно сдают экзамены. Запущен механизм обеспечения госорганов аналитической продукцией. У нас в плане около 100 заказов от госорганов

на исследования. В качестве преподавателей принимаем только тех людей, которые достаточно компетентны для проведения курсов повышения квалификации и исследований по заказу госорганов. Это повышает их доход, так как они могут оплачиваться из трех источников: программы подготовки бакалавров и магистров, непрерывного образования госслужащих и исследований. Изменен подход к написанию дипломных работ: отныне они будут готовиться только по заказу госоргана в рамках длительной стажировки магистранта. Темы будут отображать конкретные проблемы госорганов, что делает практически невозможным списывание с интернета. Ужесточен контроль за дисциплиной учащихся, за три факта списывания в течение года следует отчисление. Отныне нельзя с непогашенными задолженностями переходить на следующий курс. Повышены требования к дисциплине преподавателей, при этом прилагаются усилия по облегчению их взаимодействия с администрацией. Изменена

Будущее и судьба всей страны зависит от подрастающего

поколения, которое придет на смену научной и политической

элите Кыргызстана.Алмазбек Атамбаев, Президент КР



структура управления академии, за основу взят опыт западных высших школ. Упразднены кафедры и введен принцип управления по программам. Мы вынуждены были упразднить два десятка кафедр, которые дублировали друг друга, подменяли собой деканаты и при этом ни за что не отвечали. Был нарушен важнейший принцип управления, когда полномочия должны сопровождаться ответственностью, и наоборот. Мы этот недостаток ликвидировали. Все это потребовало кадровые перестановки. Заниматься реформой в одиночку аналогично тому, что руками выгребать воду из океана. Необходима была группа единомышленников, людей с открытым мышлением, которые не боятся изменений.

-таким образом, система стала идеальной?

- В науке есть такое понятие, как гистерезис – инерция, если выражаться упрощенно. Это означает, что после реформы прежние формы взаимодействия, мышления и привычки сохраняются в течение определенного времени. У нас по-прежнему остаются преподаватели, которые продолжают работать по кафедральному принципу. Так будет до тех пор, пока новые формы взаимоотношений, организации деятельности Академии не укоренятся и, в свою очередь, не войдут в привычку. Понимаете, нужно, чтобы люди, которые занимают руководящие позиции, ежедневно подтверждали своими действиями новую структуру, укореняли ее. Мало модель утвердить приказом, надо ежедневно по ней работать, прокладывать борозду. Поэтому если вы работаете с людьми, которые реформу не поддерживают (неважно, по каким соображениям: не понимают или сознательно препятствуют ей), можно что угодно подписать на бумаге, но работать это никогда не будет. И это действует как в масштабах одной организации, так и целой страны. Поэтому

пришлось взять на себя черную, но необходимую работу по смене управленческого состава Академии. Я благодарен всем людям, которые отдали много лет вузу, внесли в его развитие большой вклад в свое время, и то, что сегодня академия является видным учреждением, с хорошей материально-технической базой – это во многом их заслуга. Однако новое время предъявляет новые требования.

- Вы не понаслышке знаете о европейской системе образования. о чем конкретно идет речь?

- Акцент на конечный продукт. Определяется стандарт качества. Вся работа западного университета строится исходя из ответов на вопросы: кого готовим в итоге по каждому направлению? На какой объем спроса? Для какого работодателя? Для какого сегмента рынка труда? Это важно и нужно определять при организации учебного процесса. У нас же дают факультетам пустые названия, набирают студентов, не выяснив, будет спрос на рынке на таких специалистов или нет, и ведут не соответствующие названиям дисциплины. Это основное отличие. Наши вузы, к сожалению, не ориентированы на потребности рынка труда. Второе важное отличие - это акцент на самостоятельную работу. Подход к студентам как к взрослым, ответственным гражданам, которые четко понимают, чего они хотят, и несут ответственность за свои поступки. У нас же с ними возятся как с детьми в детском саду. И наконец, акцент на критическое мышление: и учебный процесс, и домашние задания построены таким образом, чтобы развивать критическое, самостоятельное мышление. На Западе умеют заставлять людей думать. И это напрямую связано с навыками мыслить, анализировать, говорить, искать, организовывать, слушать, понимать и т.д.

-добиться таких же результатов является целью Вашей работы в Академии, я правильно поняла?

- Вы правы. Мы создали для этого три института: Институт дополнительного образования государственных и муниципальных служащих, Институт подготовки государственных и муниципальных служащих и Институт исследований госполитики.

- Мы затронули в разговоре европейскую систему образования. А могли бы Вы дать оценку системе образования в соединенных Штатах, сравнить ее с европейской? В чем преимущества и недостатки, применима ли она к нашей стране, нашей молодежи?

- Разница в концепциях высшего образования между Западной Европой и сША существует. В Европе часто обсуждают этот вопрос и приходят к мнению, что в сША система более гибкая и более ориентированная на рыночную конъюнктуру. Делается больше акцента на самостоятельность студента, отдается предпочтение передаче навыков, нежели знаний. сказывается независимость американских вузов. Преобладают те, которые работают за счет частного финансирования. Это дает больше свободы, но накладывает рыночные требования. В сША университеты более раскрепощены в определении принципов своей работы, нежели в Европе, где все более стандартизировано, где правительство устанавливает более жесткие рамки. Вместе с тем, есть вероятность, что в угоду рыночным требованиям со стороны работодателей и спонсоров в жертву приносятся интересы всестороннего и долгосрочного развития человеческого потенциала сША. Кроме того, я считаю, что успех американских вузов во многом


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связан с их способностью привлекать наиболее талантливую молодежь со всего мира. В Кыргызстане на сегодняшний день Американский университет в Центральной Азии является ведущим вузом в области гуманитарных наук. Надо это однозначно признать. И это все-таки единственный вуз в стране, где царит совсем иная атмосфера, другие люди: преподаватели и молодежь другие. Я считаю, что АУЦА является своего рода окном на Запад, в цивилизованный мир. Молодежь это чувствует особенно остро.

- У Вас есть опыт преподавания в европе и здесь. Чем отличается европейская молодежь от кыргызской?

- Ну, во-первых, нельзя забывать, что у нас ребята школу заканчивают на два года раньше, нежели на Западе. Наши студенты первого и второго курсов – это еще школьники на Западе. Плюс наш менталитет. У нас менее самостоятельная, менее раскрепощенная молодежь. И если ей предоставить возможность выбирать

дисциплины самостоятельно, то выбор падет не на тот предмет, который они посчитают нужным, а на тот, что намного легче. Нашим студентам необходим постоянный контроль успеваемости, посещаемости, как со стороны преподавателей, так и родителей. За все время, что я преподавал на Западе, я ни разу не видел, чтобы чей-то родитель пришел в университет и что-то просил для своего ребенка. Это просто немыслимо. Там участие родителей только в выборе вуза и общежития. И чтобы студент не пришел на экзамен или не сдал дипломную работу – это тоже редкость. У меня однажды в потоке было 400 человек, и мне пришлось 400 работ проверять в течение недели. Это был ужас (смеется). Тогда я хотел, чтоб половина студентов не сдала работы, но они дисциплинированно все сдали. У нас же могут не прийти на экзамен, не сдать дипломную работу, потом ходят, плачут, просят, родители звонят. Это признак безответственности за собственную судьбу.

-Что же с этим делать?

-Нельзя гладить по головке, превращая вуз в школу. Я считаю, что вузы должны проявлять строгость. Но когда вузам важнее прибыль, это сделать сложно. В Академии сейчас это одно из коренных изменений: нет никакой погони за деньгами. Количество студентов, наоборот, сокращается до порога безубыточности. страна жизнеспособна, если в состоянии воспроизводить компетентные, конкурентоспособные по международным меркам кадры. А для этого в вузе должна быть жесткая селекция, людей нужно воспитывать, а не попустительствовать им, иначе мы получим очень плохих выпускников. Получение знаний – это дисциплина, это умение работать с утра до вечера. И именно это следует культивировать в студенческой среде, чтобы страна на выходе из вуза получала профессионалов и патриотов.



Мой дУХ — МоЯ КРеПостЬ

динАРА оРозБАеВА

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У нас в гостях Кылычбек саркарбаев! Чемпион мира по ММА.

Первая и самая трудная победа, которую должен одержать будущий воин - победа над самим собой.

с Кылычем мы встретились во время тренировки. Высокий –мужественный-сильный спортсмен. Коллеги отзываются о нём как об ответственном, немногословном и целеустремленном человеке. Он тренировался и разминался в ожидании своих подопечных и одновременно отвечал на мои вопросы. Подопечные были, но несколько из них опаздывали, от чего я, конечно, больше радовалась, а Кылыч злился: ”Не люблю, когда опаздывают, когда все не по расписанию, не вовремя.

Расскажите про жизнь чемпиона. Что она в себя включает?

Я занимаюсь в спортивном клубе «Мухаммед Умар» в Оше и работаю на гос-

службе.. Главное, чему тренер-учитель должен научить ученика - умение ставить цели и достигать их. Это умение приходит вместе с формированием мировоззрения и воспитанием в ученике духа воина. Hе каждый ученик может стать бойцом, во многом это зависит от психологического склада , целеустремленности и от тренера . с 13 лет я начал свою спортивную жизнь, мой первый тренер Улукбек Омурзаков . Он стал моим наставником во всем и в спорте, и в жизни . Всему чему я научился у своих тренеров, я пытаюсь передать теперь своим подопечным и стараюсь быть примером для них.


Мастерства владения техникой недостаточно для победы,- это только одна сторона навыков бойца. Для эффективного применения техники необходим боевой дух, стремление побеждать. Такие навыки приходят только с опытом. Задача тренера -чувствовать психологическое состояние ученика, и ставить задачи даже за пределами его возможностей, умея помогать в преодолении трудностей на пути достижения своих целей. Я рад, что моя жизнь сложилась именно так -,ведь у меня есть моя любимая работа: Знаете, когда работа и хобби совпадают – это уже счастье, а когда тебя еще награждают за твой труд – вдвойне приятно. Вот, недавно мы вернулись из Америки с золотыми и серебрянными медалями.

спортсмены из Кыргызстана приняли участие в отборочном раунде UFC (абсолютный бойцовский чемпионат) и Bellator ММА. Отборочный раунд проходил в Филадельфии (сША) 13 июля 2013г. Из 11 кыргызских спортсменов 3 завоевали золото 6 спортсменов -серебро.

UFC - спортивная организация, базирующаяся в Лас-Вегасе (сША) и проводящая бои по смешанным правилам в сША и других странах. По состоянию на 2012 год под эгидой UFC выступает большинство бойцов ММА, занимающих лидирующие позиции в мировых рейтингах, а бои транслируются в 130 странах на 20 разных языках.

Bellator mmA — американская спортивная организация, базирующаяся в Ньюпорт-Бич и проводящая бои по смешанным единоборствам. Она ежегодно организует турниры, в которых бойцы выявляют победителя по олимпийской системе в различных весовых категориях. Помимо этого, проводятся схватки за чемпионский пояс организации, в том числе среди женщин.

Примите наши искренние поздравления с победой. Говорят, вы произвели в Америке фурор. Мы горды за вас!

– трудный был бой?– Поначалу нам было непросто. Американцы

народ своеобразный, хотя я выступал-бился с мексиканцем. Если честно, условия самого

чемпионата были не из легких. Давали о себе знать повышенная влажность, разница часовых поясов, многочасовой перелет. Поединки проходили в 5-6 утра по нашему времени. У ребят глаза слипались, мышцы не работали в полную силу, были проблемы с аппетитом. Но всё равно мы смогли перебороть свой организм. Ведь самое сложное – победить себя. Надо четко осознавать, что перед тобой сильный противник, но при этом верить в свою победу, внутренне собраться и успокоиться.

Я привез серебро по Грепплингу и первое место по ММА.

А в целом у нас два первых места 6 серебра и 2 бронзы. Мы с бойцом, салмоором Эргешалиевым (до 65 кг) выступали в городе Порт-санта-Лючия, штат Флорида против файтеров из Мексики, а остальные бойцы поехали в город Талахаси в сопровождении президента и тренера Федерации по боям без правил Эмиля Токтогонова . Хочу отметить что Эмиль Токтогонов делает невероятный вклад в развитие федерации .

Я одержал досрочную победу, поймав соперника на прием «треугольник».салмоор

отличился тем, что бой продолился всего 30 секунд- На 30-ой секунде он взял соперника на удушение и выиграл бой.

Поединки в сША для меня прошли психологически проще, чем бои на территории

Азии. Я не знаю, почему так происходит. Наверное, я чувствовал больше ответственности за свой народ, рядом не было моих близких, моих фанатов, в сША я пока начинающий неизвестный спортсмен, нежели у себя в Кыргызстане. Меня ничего не отвлекало, я был сконцентрирован исключительно на сопернике.

– о чем ты думаешь перед боем?– Читаю молитву. Я не скажу. что я

религиозный фанат, но часто посещаю мечеть. Я считаю - главное, чтобы Бог был в сердце.

– Последние годы победа ходит за тобой буквально по пятам. ты чемпион евразии по боям без правил,чемпион мира по версии К1М1, тебя уже знают в Америке и хотят с тобой работать...

– Я не останавливаюсь на достигнутом, а

Я ПРиВез сеРеБРо По ГРеППлинГУ и ПеРВое

Место По ММА.

КоГдА РАБотА и ХоББи соВПАдАют – Это Уже сЧАстЬе!

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стремлюсь к большим достижениям. Впереди новые соревнования, бои за пределами Кыргызстана. Так что почивать на лаврах некогда, нужно быть в форме, тренироваться. Я занимаюсь спортом с детских лет- без нагрузок, тренировок трудно и морально и физически. А каждую победу я воспринимаю как шаг в будущее!

–на западе даже проигравший боец получает раз в пятнадцать больше, чем победитель в Кыргызстане. Разница гонораров составляет десятки, а порой и сотни тысяч долларов.

не хотел бы уехать из страны и податься на заработки?

– Трудно ответить на этот вопрос. Здесь моя семья, родители. Я патриот своей страны - у спортсменов чувство патриотизма больше развита, чем у кого либо. Мы уже открыли немало спортивных залов, и я хочу продолжать развивать чувство любви к спорту у молодёжи Кыргызстана.

– Кстати, вопрос на счет допинга- есть такая проблема в панкратионе?

– Нашим бойцам допинг-контроль не страшен: на разные хитрые препараты у нас просто нет денег. стоимость качественных стимуляторов достигает двух-трех тысяч долларов.

– слава не вскружила тебе голову?– О славе, деньгах пока говорить не

приходится. Вид спорта - бои без правил только начинает развиваться и только набирает оборот в Кыргызстане и в странах сНГ. Будущее все же, у этого вида спорта большое. На самом деле - рукопашный бой гораздо менее жесток и травматичен, чем тот же бокс. Несмотря на название «бои без правил», внутренние, мужские

ограничения у бойцов существуют. Нельзя бить в глаза, пах, затылок, локтем по позвоночнику. Нужно помнить, что на каждый твой удар найдется ответ. И если ты будешь делать много лишних движений, надеясь провести более эффектный прием, то устанешь раньше соперника. Уверен что, отношение к этому боевому искусству изменится. Уже сегодня идут переговоры о включении его в олимпийскую программу. Ведь если вернуться в историю в Древней Греции - панкратион был олимпийским видом спорта.

Хочу сказать нашей подрастающей молодёжи: –“Живите, любите жизнь и занимайтесь спортом! Не важно каким видом спорта. Ведь в здоровом теле - здоровый дух, - а здоровый дух это здоровая нация!

нУжно ПоМнитЬ, Что нА КАждый

тВой УдАР нАйдетсЯ отВет.

саркарбаев Кылычбек АсилбековичРодился и вырос 28 декабря1987 года в селе Куршаб Узгенского района. Рост–186 сантиметров, вес– 90 килограмм. Псевдоним –Кылыч (МЕЧ). Кумир –Лиото Мачида (Lyoto machida) Достижения – Многократный чемпион КР по боевому самбо, кикбоксингу и боям без правил. Победитель международного поединка по боям без правил версии КФ-1 (Корея, 2011) и других международных рейтинговых боев. Чемпион мира по кикбоксингу версии К-1. Чемпион Евразии, сНГи Азии по боям без правил. Обладатель кубка Манаса (2010). Победитель отборочного раунда турнира по боям без правил UFC (абсолютный бойцовский чемпионат) в сША.Бронзовый призер на международном турнире по грепплингу сША 2013.Образование – Высшее,Окончил юридический факультет ОшГУ.


Gifts 2013

Friends of AUCAJohn and Joan Von Leesen

Barbara LambachRuth Grier

Mary SchweitzerStephen HollidayDavid Sanders

Peter and Leslie MerrillEllen HurwitzHelen Smith

Sharon Bailey Gulnara Dreier

Madeleine ReevesHersh Chadha

Henry MyerbergJohn CouperGail KendelEmita HillErkin Bek

Maeberta BobbDede Bartlett

Board of TrusteesJoomart OtorbaevJonathan BeckerAlmas Chukin

Asset AbdualiyevDavid Lakhdhir

Stanislav KarpovichBabur TolbaevMatt Nimetz

Aijan Chynybaeva

AlumniNazira BeishenalievaEliza Damirbek kyzy

Lilia MuslimovaVyacheslav AkimenkoTemerlan Moldogaziev

Alan NiaziAziz Soltobaev

Alina MurazaevaVitali En

Sanjar TursalievRinat AksianovErkin AdylovElina Dale

Rustam NiyazovMelis Turgunbaev

Mamatkhalil RazaevSayora Mussakhunova

Corporate PartnersMol Bulak Finance

Kumtor Operating CompanyAyu Ltd.

Bank of Asia

alumni sPotlight

introducinG:

alumni amBassadorsnurGul tilEnBaEva – Eco ‘10 (alumni amBassador hunGary)

After graduating from AUCA, I received my Masters in Economic Policy and Global Markets from Cen-tral European University in Budapest, Hungary. After completing my MA, I took a job at Roche, a Swiss Pharma-ceuticals company with an office in Budapest. I currently work at Roche in the finance operations department.

AUCA had a great impact on my way of thinking. In my opinion, the biggest impact was the realization that anything imaginable, any great ambition or goal, is feasible and can be achieved. I now realize that AUCA made me courageous and confident, which has helped me to achieve my success.

prokopEtc kristina, sFw ‘11 (alumni amBassador FrancE)

I graduated in 2011 from the Software Engineering Department.

Within one month, I found a job as a web-developer at Expert Solutions. My main responsibility was the development of software solutions for call centers using ASP.NET, JavaScript and MySQL. After working in this position for 6 months, I got a promotion to IT Project Manager did that for another half year.

After graduating, what I really wanted to do was pursue a Masters degree in Europe. I tried to apply for programs that would allow me to keep my job so that I could work and study at the same time. However, once I applied and was accepted to several programs, I was offered an opportunity through the University of Burgundy, in France, to pursue a Masters of Com-puter Vision and Robotics on scholar-ship. I have now completed my first year, spending one semester in France and one in Spain, and I am currently completing an internship at Laboratory Le2i, which deals with digital image processing.

This is my message to current students: Do not be afraid of some-thing new. Taste all of the possibilities that life offers to you! If you do not do it, nobody will do it for you! Dream! Believe! Achieve! Enjoy!

alumni classnotEsidris jonmamadov, sFw ‘09

After graduating from AUCA I went back home to Tajikistan. I worked mainly in the sphere of development - in the micro-finance sector, then for a USAID educational

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project, and afterwards for Internews Network TJK as a “New Media” project coordinator. My most recent position was a consultancy with the World Bank Tajkistan. Currently I’m pursuing my MPA (Master in Public Administration) degree at the Max-well School of Citizenship and Public Affairs of Syracuse University.

Message to my classmates: I miss you all, guys! But I would also like to thank all my professors, especially SFW department Sergey Nikolaevich Sklyar, Tatyana Ivanov-na Rybina, Melis Sydykbekovich Osmonov and Dmitriy Grigor’evich Shostak - they were everything: instructors, mentors, and friends.

sahyt tachEv, sFw ‘07

I found a job as an IT Engineer in an international communications company (Hermes Data Communications Int. Ltd.) about two months after arriving back home to Turkmenistan. Since then, I have been promoted twice and work as a Project Engineer. Our company works with the major Oil & Gas companies in Turkmenistan, providing satellite communications and IT solutions.

I also got married two years ago, have a one year-old daughter. In general, I am living an awesome life, with an awesome wife and awesome friends, most of whom are AUCA graduates. Thank you AUCA.

aiGErim jolomanova, icp ‘05

After graduating in 2005 I was based in Karakol as an OSCE Is-syk-Kul oblast Local Program Coordi-nator. After two years there I was then offered a position at the Aga Khan Development Network as the Assistant to the Head of Representation H.E. Nurjehan Mawani. After spending four exciting years with the Aga Khan Development Network, in February of 2013 I was offered a position within

the USAID/DFID Kyrgyzstan Parlia-mentary Strengthening Program.

I would like to express my love and gratitude to my Alma Mater for giving me a chance to experience an exciting, positive and energetic four years!!! There are no words to de-scribe how much AUCA gave me in terms of personal as well as profes-sional development! I am proud of my fellow classmates who are now spread throughout the world and have achieved tremendous results!!!

BErmEt djakuBova, Ba ‘99

First of all, I would like to thank our professors and my fellow class-mates with whom I share the most precious memories of student life. After graduating from AUCA in 1999 I was employed by the Ministry of Finance of the Kyrgyz Republic where I have worked since April 1999 as an

intern and wrote my thesis on “State Finance”. I consider this a great for-tune and one of the best advantages that our University provides, as I have succeeded for this competitive position as it was easy for me due to knowl-edge gained at AUCA.

After two years of work at the Ministry of Finance, and education in Vienna, I left governmental sector for private sector. I’ve been working in consulting for past eleven years in international projects and NGOs. Every experience is unique in its own way.

I think the most important thing our university gave us (apart from ex-cellent knowledge) is self-confidence.

I wish you all best of luck!

With love,

Bermet.

alumni sPotlight


Documents

AUCA Magazine Fall 2013