University opens in mountains of Central Asia06.09.2016Classes commenced on 5 September 2016 for the first group of undergraduate students to attend the University of Central Asia (UCA) Naryn campus in the Kyrgyz Republic. The Naryn campus is one of three UCA campuses, each located in a remote mountainous area of Central Asia. The 71 students beginning their studies at UCA come from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan and Tajikistan. They were admitted through a competitive, transparent and merit-based admissions process. Welcoming the students, Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Executive Chairman, UCA Board Executive Committee and Diplomatic Representative of the Aga Khan Development Network in the Kyrgyz Republic, said, "This is an historic day for UCA. The university is delighted to welcome our very first 71 students, whose admission is a testament solely of their talent. We are proud that UCA’s financial aid programme ensured that no deserving student was denied entry due to financial circumstances.” The formal inauguration of the university will take place in October 2016. UCA was created to offer an internationally recognized standard of higher education and create knowledgeable, skilled and creative graduates who will contribute leadership, ideas and innovations to the region. The university’s mission is to promote the social and economic development of Central Asia, particularly its mountain communities, while at the same time helping the different peoples of the region to preserve and draw upon their rich cultural traditions and heritages as assets for the future. "The first phase of constructing a university is over. Now, together with faculty, staff and students, we begin the much more challenging task of building the institution based on the values this university espouses," Kassim-Lakha concluded. News and photo: UCA |
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