Dimitri Rechov: “It is always positive to study abroad in order to learn new approaches to learning and how to fit in to new communities”

May 30, 2017

Dimitri Rechov is an exchange student from Sciences Po Paris in France. He told us about his experience in Kyrgyzstan and AUCA.

I chose AUCA because I wanted to improve my English, but at the same time practice my Russian. However, the main reason is certainly that I want to learn more about Central Asia. I learned about AUCA through my university when the different opportunities for our exchange-year were presented to us.

The educational process at AUCA is quite similar to what exists in my university in France. I think it focuses on in-class interaction and aims to generate debate between students, but of course, it still provides a solid academic background and some openings on specific subjects. Students at AUCA come from a variety of backgrounds, but they seem to be all (at different levels of course) really involved in community life and university spirit, making it so strong. In France, your university often focuses too much just on academics, so extra-curricular activities and the university’s spirit are ignored.

I would recommend AUCA to students who want to improve their English or study in an Western-style university without going to North America or the United Kingdom, because they want to discover something perhaps more out-of-the-ordinary, like Central Asia. Foreign students going to AUCA for a semester or for the whole year, in my opinion, should get to know what exactly is the “post-soviet lifestyle” before coming. Maybe they should do some touring of other ex-soviet cities and read some testimonies to mitigate the culture shock on arrival.

I arrived early in the morning at Manas International Airport where I was immediately harassed by taxi drivers. That was quite the rude welcoming committee! Then, I saw the city wake up, the weather was ideal, and it was a real pleasure. Last summer, I travelled to Russia, so legacies of soviet architecture, road and sidewalk quality, and the marshurtka system did not surprise me. Nevertheless, I was surprised and pleased to see how much Bishkek has in terms of leisure and their diversity. Of course, Kyrgyzstan is also a country full of beautiful mountains, parks, lakes, and all other imaginable types of landscapes—it really is mind-blowing to see or visit them. Also, I went to the Nomad Games with some other exchange students at AUCA, and it was really awesome! We discovered sports that nobody had ever heard before in the western hemisphere, and we were amused by the participants coming from the United States, Germany and Brazil. The games showed how the Kyrgyz are attached to nomad traditions and try to preserve them, which is important.

I think it is always positive to study abroad in order to learn new approaches to learning and how to fit in to new communities. It offers me the opportunity to think differently in the future, maybe in a more efficient way with a more comprehensive understanding of problems. I would really like to thank the international student office for their invaluable help and kindness. I’d also like to thank my university in France for offering me the opportunity and assistance to study in Kyrgyzstan.