DUSHANBE, March 26, 2013, Asia-Plus — The University of Central Asia (UCA)’s School of Professional and Continuing Education (UCA-SPCE) held its 8th graduation ceremony at the Khorog Theater on March 26.
In addition to celebrating the accomplishments of its students, the ceremony commemorated Navrouz, a festival with Persian cultural roots marking the arrival of spring. The ceremony was followed by a traditional cultural performance by graduating students, press release issued by SPCE Khorog said.
“Just as we welcome new beginnings during Navrouz, we are proud of our graduating students, and wish them success as they use their newly gained knowledge in their future work,” said Robert Wheeler, Chief Operating Officer.
Two hundred students received their certificates at the Awards Ceremony, including 35 learners from Afghanistan and 24 village mason-masters, representing all seven districts of Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO), funded through: European Commission Directorate-General Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection –ECHO (DIPECHO).
Certificates were awarded in Accounting Technology, English for Academic Purposes. Records of Professional Development were presented to Information Technology and English teachers from SPCE’s Outreach programs.
Learners also received certificates of Achievement in the Bookkeeping/Cashier, Conversational Russian, and Conversational German, French, English for Business Program Levels 2 and 3A, Conversational English of Upper intermediate level and Training of Guides. Certificates were also awarded to a group of Plumbers.
For the third time, SPCE is graduating a class of 35 Afghan students. The students studied advanced level courses at SPCE’s Khorog campus as part of the “Cross Border Vocational Education in Badakhshan” (CVEB) program, a joint initiative between UCA and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) now concluding its second phase.
Since 2009, the CVEB program has enabled SPCE to expand its program to Afghan learners and increase access to education in the border districts. As part of this program, a total of 132 students from Badakhshan province, Afghanistan were awarded scholarships to study English, IT, Bookkeeping/Cashier, and vocational education at SPCE Khorog. Courses were delivered in Dari language and original curriculum and learning materials in Dari were developed. The CVEB program also supported the establishment of an SPCE project office in Faizabad, Afghanistan.
