AUK Partners

Cooperation with Leading US Universities

AUK was founded thanks to a grant extended by the United States Information Agency (USIA), which also provided a separate grant for faculty development. For three years AUK has been maintaining links with the University of Nebraska, in Lincoln Nebraska, USA. Since September of 1999 AUK has been cooperating with the Consortium of Indiana Universities. Within the framework of the open society institute, the Soros Foundation also supports the University. AUK is actively involved in the sphere of humanities and social sciences with the support of OSI and USIA (BECA).

Indiana University - AUK project

"The IU - AUK project is the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs' highest profile education project in Central Asia."

Patrick O' Meara
Dean of International Programs,
Indiana University

In May, 1999, a BECA partner university grant for $1.9 million over three years was awarded to a consortium of Indiana universities, led by IU Bloomington. The grant was awarded to IU's Center for International Education and Development Assistance (CIEDA) of the Office of International Programs, in association with IU's Inner Asian and Uralic National Recourse Center (IAUNRC). This grant provides for faculty development and administrative training programs to help American University in Kyrgyzstan develop into one of the region's top higher education institutions. The duration of the grant is July 1, 1999 - June 30, 2002.

IU Bloomington's partners in this endeavor are Ball State University, DePauw University, IUPUI, IU Southeast, Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology, and Valparaiso University. These universities are providing assistance and training in six academic programs at AUK: American studies (history and literature), economics, journalism, international comparative politics, psychology, and sociology. The agreement calls for a series of long- and short-term exchanges of faculty and administrators between the seven Indiana institutions and AUK. It also brings a selection of AUK's junior faculty and advanced graduate students to IUB, IUPUI, and Ball Sate for master's degree training in various social science and humanities fields.

President of American University David Huwiler and dean of International Programs of Indiana University professor Patrick O'Meare signed a memorandum of understanding between IU and AUK, pledging that both institutions will sustain the partnership and expand the agreement beyond the terms of the grant. The solemn ceremony took place in Bishkek on September 26.

PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
July1, 1999 - June 30, 2001

• Nine US faculty were sent to AUK for the periods from two weeks to four months;

• Three AUK faculty visited US for a semester-long Senior Faculty Development visit;

• Seven US administrators were sent to AUK for the period from one to three weeks;

• Ten AUK administrators visited US for visits from three to six weeks;

• Selected and placed thirteen Junior Faculty Grantees in MA degree programs at IU-Bloomington, IUPUI and Ball State University;

• Obtained more than 1,800 individual titles for the AUK library and technical assistance (scanner, Winnebago Spectrum software, etc.).

In the year of 2000 the first nine graduate students from AUK went to USA. The five women among the students and their fields of study are:

• Mehrigul Ablezova (sociology, Ball State);

• Asyl Bakanova (economics, IUPUI);

• Irina Larionova (English, Ball State);

• Nazgul Sadycova (psychology, IUB),

• and Elmira Satybaldieva (journalism, Ball State).

The four men and their field are:

• Emilbek Juraev (political science, IUB);

• Temirlan Moldogazieva (political science, IUB);

• Samagan Nasybek (economics, IUB);

• and Baktygul Aliev (journalism, Ball State).

In the year of 2001 another group of four distinguished women have arrived already in Indiana:

• Medina Aitieva (sociology, BSU);

• Olga Bogacheva (American Studies, IUB);

• Asel Kyrgyzbaeva (economics, IUPUI);

• Erkaim Shambetova (economics, IUPUI);

School of Russian and Asian Studies

Representative of AUK in North and South America

The School of Russian and Asian Studies /SRAS/ is authorized as an official representative of AUK in the USA and Canada to provide application, enrollment, orientation, and other services related to educational opportunities at AUK.

Universities, Institutes and Language Schools that collaborate with SRAS

SRAS works with Partner Schools on the level of full representation. This provides its partner schools with greater promotion of all programs internationally and allows students the option of enrolling directly in standard programs offered by these schools. SRAS is authorized by these universities to advise on application and enrollment procedures for language as well as degree and visiting scholar/research programs.

SRAS Address: PO Box 382385, Cambridge, MA 02238-2385 USA
Toll-free in USA/Canada: 1-800-55-RUSSIA (1-800-557-8774)
Tel/fax: 1-617-269-2659
E-mail: AUK@sras.org
Web: www.sras.org

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