Higher Education for Mountain Communities: Regionalism and Development. Experience of the University of Central Asia
This webinar is a part of an Innovative Universities Global Webinar Series.
Founded in 2020 by the treaty signed by the Presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and His Highness the Aga-Khan, the University of Central Asia is secular, private, non-for-profit, English language University, operating today in 16 locations across Central Asia, including Afghanistan.
With its clear mission to contribute to the well-being of marginalized mountain communities, the University combines an aspiration to become a research-intensive institution with a distinct regional and developmental character.
The University of Central Asia is a world-class center for knowledge and learning, connecting isolated rural communities with the global community and building human capital needed for modern economies and stable governance. A private, not-for-profit, secular university, UCA was founded in 2000 through an International Treaty signed by the Presidents of Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic, and Kazakhstan, and His Highness the Aga Khan, ratified by their respective parliaments and registered with the United Nations.
The mission of UCA is to promote the social and economic development of Central Asia, particularly its mountain communities, by offering an internationally recognized standard of higher education and enabling the peoples of the region to preserve their rich cultural heritage as assets for the future. UCA's undergraduate programs are located in world-class residential campuses in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan, and Khorog, Tajikistan, near the Tien Shan and Pamir mountains which established the three Campuses away from major urban centers.
In this webinar, Professor Maxim Khomyakov, the Dean of the UCA School of Arts and Sciences, analyzes the benefits and challenges of such a mission. Why do universities choose to be regionally focused? How can cutting-edge research and international aspirations be combined with the regional and developmental nature of the university?
The webinar will shed some light on the challenges, successes, and drawbacks of the unique higher education and development project in Central Asia.
Publications:
Prof. Dr. Maxim Khomyakov
Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Central Asia
- Former vice-director of the Saint-Petersburg campus of Higher School of Economics (Russia) and a Vice-rector (international) of Ural Federal University (Ekaterinburg, Russia)
- Guest professor in a number of universities, including European University Institute (Florence, Italy), Texas A&M University (USA), The University of York (UK) and other institutions
- Author of more than 70 scholarly publications on issues of political philosophy, history of philosophy, and higher education theory.
Join us for an imaginative exploration into the history of an institution that shattered the boundaries of traditional education. Be prepared to be inspired, provoked, and captivated as we unveil the captivating story of Constructor University.