“UCA is an example others should emulate”, said the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Sapar Isakov, during his visit to the University of Central Asia’s (UCA) campus in Naryn on September 19, 2017.
He asked the journalists accompanying him to photograph the campus facilities and share with their readers as an example of what is possible in Kyrgyzstan, according to press release issued by UCA.
The prime minister toured the campus, met with students and faculty in the classrooms, and even played a game of table tennis with a student. He was accompanied by the governor of Naryn Oblast, the mayor of Naryn, and senior government officials.
Welcoming the prime minister, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of UCA, Dr. Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, conveyed congratulations to the youngest Prime Minister in the history of the Kyrgyz Republic.
Addressing the gathering, the prime minister conveyed his appreciation of what had been accomplished at UCA, “from the architecture to the artwork on the walls.” He was particularly happy that His Highness the Aga Khan had established UCA in a mountainous rural setting, and not in a major city. “The tranquility of the campus surrounded by mountains offers a perfect setting for study and contemplation. If my office had been nearby I would have used these facilities every day.”
During the visit, Isakov also shared the goals and objectives of the Digital Transformation Programme Taza Koom, launched by the Kyrgyz Government. "Over the next two years, we plan to ensure that every town and village in the country has access to affordable high-speed Internet.” The objective of Taza Koom is to enhance the quality of life of people through technology.
UCA’s undergraduate classes of 2021 and 2022 include accomplished students from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Of the 68 students at the Naryn Campus, 56 percent are female, and 7 are from the Naryn area.
UCA’s five-year degree program consists of an intensive preparatory program, followed by a four-year liberal arts core curriculum, rooted in the issues of mountain communities in Central Asia. Students are currently pursuing specializations in Computer Science or Communications and Media at the Campus in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan, and Economics or Earth and Environmental Science at the Campus in Khorog, Tajikistan.
UCA was founded in 2000. The Presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, and His Highness the Aga Khan, signed the International Treaty and Charter establishing this secular, private, not for profit University, which was ratified by the respective parliaments and registered with the United Nations. The Presidents are the Patrons of UCA and His Highness the Aga Khan is the Chancellor. UCA’s mission is to promote the social and economic development of Central Asia, particularly its mountain societies, by offering an internationally recognized standard of higher education, and helping the peoples of the region to preserve and draw upon their rich cultural traditions as assets for the future. UCA brings with it the commitment and partnership of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).
Sapar Isakov (born July 29, 1977) is a Kyrgyz politician who has been Prime Minister since August 26, 2017. Previously he had been chief of staff for President Almazbek Atambayev.
