AUCA CHESS CLUB

The AUCA Chess Club was created to get people to play chess at the University. The Club encourages people of all levels of experience to play and offers a friendly, constructive, and social platform for chess enthusiasts. The Club sends also teams to the Universiada. To find out more about the AUCA chess club, we sat down and talked with Shaislam Shabiev, a freshman in the economics department and the head of the chess club:  I was 7 years old when I first played chess. From that moment forward, this game was more than just an ordinary game for me—it was a space for self-expression. I can be an artist in chess, thinking up tactics and creating strategic plans, which I find incredibly rewarding. So far, I have devoted most of my time to playing chess. It is certainly more than just a hobby.

Aichurek Kadyrova: "For more than four decades in education - for more than a decade at AUCA!"

An AUCA student differs from other university students in many ways. The AUCA student is not a passive recipient of an educational system that is imposed on him, rather an active participant in the learning process. He/she is extremely responsible for his/her learning. Additionally, co-education of local and foreign students makes them friendly, tolerant, and enriches their understanding of the world.

AUCA alumna on her US startup selling shyrdaks

In 2012, the process of creating shyrdaks was included in UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safekeeping. AUCA alumna Aliya Rakhman co-founded Nakta Designs (www.instagram.com/nakta_kg)to sell handmade rugs (shyrdak) and accessories created by talented artisans from Kyrgyzstan, investing and directly contributing to a sustainable development of the small businesses led by women artisans in low-income rural communities.

Gender Studies: A New Program and Center at the American University of Central Asia Frank G. Karioris

Fall 2017, the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) will officially open its program in Gender Studies. AUCA’s program in Gender Studies is the first academic program of its kind in Central Asia and an important step in looking at gender relations within the nation, the region, and the world.