Ul Gagarina 13, Tekeli 041700, Kazakhstan

Undergraduate program

The University is developing a music program to complement and support the Aga Khan Music Initiative in Central Asia (AKMICA). The five year liberal arts and sciences program involves an interdisciplinary approach to research in, among other things, the cultural traditions of Central Asia. Classes are expected to begin in 2021/2022.

The University of Central Asia was founded in 2000 at the initiative of His Highness the Aga Khan by the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. It is a secular, private not-for-profit university governed by an independent Board of Trustees, with three campuses of equal size and stature, one in each of the founding countries. The University was founded to address the unique educational, economic and cultural needs of mountain communities and to encourage the exchange of information and ideas across borders. Its mission is 'to promote the socio-economic development of Central Asia's mountain 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'. Classes are expected to start in 2022. There are three main academic programs - undergraduate, graduate and continuing education. Apart from programs in economics, public administration, rural development, education policy, tourism, leisure and environment and natural resource management, the university is developing a music program to complement and support the Aga Khan Music Initiative in Central Asia (AKMICA - website: akmi@akdn.org). This program, offered through the University's Cultural Heritage and Humanities Unit (CHHU), will provide unique instruction, research and performance opportunities in the rich musical traditions of Central Asia and will enrich the cultural life of the three campuses through its programs of research, documentation, archiving and support of regional scholars. There is some assistance to local public schools to address issues of outdated curriculum and teaching methods in the public school systems that are particularly acute in village communities. Teacher training is also an important aspect of the university's program. The Aga Khan Humanities Project has developed an integrated humanities curriculum based on Eastern and Western classical texts and the rich oral and written cultures of Central Asia. The central administration of the University of Central Asia is at 138 Toktogul Street, 720001 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Tel +996 312 910 822. The campuses of the University are: • Tajikistan: 155 Qimatsho Imatshoev Street, Khorog, GBAO, Tajikistan 736000. Tel +992 4464 08 220. A second facility is in Dushanbe; • Kazakhstan: 13 Gagarina Street, Tekeli 041700, Kazakhstan. A second facility is in Taldykorgan; • Kyrgyzstan: 310 Lenina Street, 722918 Naryn, Kyrgyzstan. Tel +996 3522 57 820. A second facility is in Bishkek.

February 2022