- University of Central Asia
Infobox_University
name = University of Central Asia
established = 2000
type =Private university
chancellor = His Highess the Aga Khan
city =Tekeli ,Kazakhstan Naryn ,Kyrgyzstan Khorog ,Tajikistan
website = [http://www.ucentralasia.org/ www.ucentralasia.org] |The University of Central Asia [http://www.ucentralasia.org/ (UCA)] was founded in2000 by the governments ofKazakhstan ,Kyrgyzstan andTajikistan , and His Highness the Aga Khan. It is the world's first internationally chartered institution of higher education; the International Treaty and Charter establishing this secular and privateUniversity was signed by the Aga Khan and the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, ratified by the respective parliaments and registered with theUnited Nations . UCA is a private, independent, self-governing institution. It will have threecampus es of equal size and stature in each of the founding countries.The mission of UCA is to promote the socio-economic development of
Central Asia 'smountain societies, while at the same time helping the diverse peoples of the region to preserve and draw upon their rich cultural traditions and heritages as assets for the future.Admission to the UCA is based on merit, as determined by objective standards. An applicant's financial resources does not play a role in decisions on admission and the university states that no qualified student will be denied the opportunity to study at the University for financial reasons.
Campuses
The University of Central Asia's three
campus es are currently under construction inTekeli ,Kazakhstan ;Naryn ,Kyrgyzstan ; andKhorog ,Tajikistan . The three campuses, hosting academic, administrative, residential, library, cultural and athletic facilities, will accommodate a residential population of almost 4000 students, faculty and staff.Park lands will surround each UCA campus, preserving the natural environment of the region, and will be open to the general public.The campuses are being planned by
Japan esearchitect Arata Isozaki . Site designs for the campuses and university parks are being developed by [http://www.sasaki.com/ Sasaki Associates] of Watertown,USA .Tekeli, Kazakhstan
Tekeli is located only 35 minutes east of the regional capital,Taldy-Korgan , and is three hours by car fromKazakhstan ’s largest city,Almaty . The town sits at the mouth of the narrow valley along the Kazaksteppe in the historicJetisuw (or "Seven Rivers") region. It borders theAlatau andDzungaria mountain ranges, with theAltai Mountains further north.Naryn, Kyrgyzstan
Naryn
oblast is at the geographical heart of the Tien-Shan mountain range and ofKyrgyzstan , sharing borders with four of the nation’s six other provinces. Its capital,Naryn , is four hours by car from the Kyrgyz capital ofBishkek and an equal distance fromKashgar in the People's Republic of China.Ak-Kya , the UCA campus site is along a bend of theNaryn River , 12 kilometres downstream from the city.Khorog, Tajikistan
Khorog is the capital of the Badakhshan Autonomous Region ofTajikistan . It is situated at an altitude of 2100 metres in the heart of thePamir mountains, nearAfghanistan , northernPakistan , and southwestXinjiang in the People’s Republic of China. The campus site, known locally asDasht , is a prominently elevated triangular terrace just northwest of the town centre. Future expansion will occur inPorshnev village, 16 kilometres down the Panj River from Khorog.Organization and Academic Programmes
chool of Professional and Continuing Education
The School of Professional and Continuing Education [http://www.ucentralasia.org/spce.htm (SPCE)] offers formal, university-based, non-degree educational programmes, including vocational, professional development and personal improvement opportunities for youth and adults. Established in
2006 , SPCE is UCA's first operational academic programme, and aims to fostereconomic development . It does this by responding to trends and needs in the local economies of the communities in which it operates, and offers courses that improveemployment and income generating opportunities, as well as professional development opportunities for mid-career professionals. By building vocational skills and professional competencies, SPCE seeks to encourageentrepreneurship and stimulate economic development in the region.Graduate School of Development
The mission of the Graduate School of Development is to foster stimulating and innovative inquiry into development issues facing
Central Asia , particularly its mountain regions. The UCA Graduate School will consist of six Institutes addressing the unique resources and needs of the region while creating a pool of highly skilled professionals and decision-makers:
*Business and Economic Development
*Public Administration
*Rural Development
*Tourism and Leisure
*Education Policy
*Environment and Natural Resource ManagementThe first degree offered will be a Master’s of Science in Economic Development that will focus on
economics , development,finance and inter-disciplinary studies with a strong emphasis onethics , together with concentrations in one of the following Institutes of graduate study: Business and Economic Development, Public Administration, and Rural Development. The remaining three Institutes: Tourism and Leisure, Education Policy, and Environment and Natural Resource Management will initially focus onresearch , but ultimately will offer specialized degrees.chool of Undergraduate Studies
The School of Undergraduate Studies will offer a four-year degree to instill graduates with global knowledge, leadership skills, and initiative. The course will include required foundational courses emphasizing
critical thinking and interdisciplinary approaches; concentrations in thehumanities ,natural science s, thesocial science s, andmanagement ; and research requirements.Other Programmes
;English Preparatory SupportAt UCA, English will be the language of instruction for all degree courses. Most incoming students will need some preparation in both English and
computing . Therefore, UCA is establishing a one-year preparatory programme for undergraduates and a three-month programme for graduate students.;Distance EducationTo make the University accessible to populations living in even more isolated areas of the region, UCA is establishing a
distance education programme that will use the latest information technologies and distance education teaching and learning methodologies.;Humanities ProgrammeUCA will integrate the
humanities and the study of the rich and diverseculture s ofCentral Asia into academic and other programmes and build on the work of theAga Khan Humanities Programme .;Music ProgrammeUCA is developing a music programme that will provide instruction, research and performance opportunities in the musical traditions of Central Asia. The programme will support UCA’s academic programmes, enrich the cultural life of the three campuses and complement the work of the
Aga Khan Music Initiative in Central Asia .Research
The UCA Research Programme will focusing on addressing issues of socio-economic development and cultural preservation in
Central Asia , with particular emphasis onmountain regions. Original, relevant and action-oriented research will be required of faculty andstudents . UCA principles for research include: adhering to global standards; prioritizing policy-oriented and community-based research that fosters social, economic andcultural development in the region; and creating strong institutional partnerships to advance research methodologies and the dissemination of findings.ources
*cite web |url=http://www.cacianalyst.org/view_article.php?articleid=307 |title=Article: University of Central Asia Founded by Aga Khan Foundation - Central Asia Caucasus Institute, November 8, 2000 |accessdate=2006-12-05
*cite web |url=http://www.mtnforum.org/apmn/6,1,d.htm#9 |title=New University of Central Asia |accessdate=2006-12-05ee also
*
Aga Khan Development Network External links
* [http://www.ucentralasia.org University of Central Asia (website)]
* [http://www.akdn.org/uca/uca.htm University of Central Asia (AKDN website)]
* [http://www.akdn.org/news/mountain.html Aga Khan Development Network in Mountain Areas]
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