AUCA is happy to host for the second time the AUCA-Bard Summer Internship Program participants this summer in Bishkek. The group arrived in Bishkek on June 11 and is quite diverse. Students from the US, China, Jamaica, and Vietnam represent not only Bard College – Annandale, but also Bard College – Berlin, the University of Vermont, University of Virginia, George Washington University, Tufts University, Swarthmore College, Sweet Briar College, Vassar College, and University of Hong Kong.

Every year, the American embassy in Kabul helps Afghan students to finance their studies at the American University of Central Asia. Sahar Hashimzada is a graduate student from the International and Comparative Politic Department, and she shares some memories about her time in Bishkek with us.

Launched in 2003, the Legal Clinic at AUCA is an integral part of the academic curriculum for senior students in international and business law. In a fully functioning law office, future legal practitioners receive professional training while providing legal counseling to the population.
Generally, citizens with low-income cannot afford to pay for highly qualified lawyers’ services. For many, free legal counseling is the only means to assert their rights and access justice. At the AUCA Legal Clinic, enough time is given for detailed discussions with clients, regardless of financial resources.

Academic life is almost finished for the seniors of AUCA. One of the brightest students of 2015 is Iurii Kim. He is a graduate of the Economics Department. Iurii shares his impressions and experience of these four years at AUCA. 

From May 19th to 22nd in Osh and Jalal-Abad cities (Jalalabad State University, Osh State University), diversity festival "We are together" was held as part of the project "Festival of National Cultures" Diversity Week "organized by the American University of Central Asia with the support of the Regional Office of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Central Asia within the framework of the project "Unity in Diversity", UN Peacebuilding Fund.

Zack Staples is a visiting student from the U.S., who grew up on the Caribbean island of Barbados. He came to Kyrgyzstan a few weeks ago, and now he is volunteering for the PR office of AUCA as well as travelling around Kyrgyzstan. Zack told us about himself, why he deferred attending Washington University for a year, and what he likes most in Kyrgyzstan.

At 21 years old, Iurii Piunov, a senior student in economics, is well-known for his talent as a debater at the American University of Central Asia. Since he joined the AUCA debate club “Eloquent Crew” in 2011, Iura has participated in many local and international tournaments.

Always cleanly dressed, he can be seen from time to time hunched over recycling bins, checking if the recyclables have been thrown in the appropriate place. Martin Ossewaarde settled in Bishkek 17 years ago. Assistant professor at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, he is teaching sustainable development, a topic he is passionate about.

There are lots of things that I missed about AUCA, but keeping it in the frame of academic life are conversations with professor Lance Tillman. He is one of the professors who impacted on my critical thinking and always had answers to my questions that most professors would just skip.

Last week, on Thursday, AUCA students from the environmental chemistry class followed a chemical training. Their tasks were to analyze water samples, and determine their colorimetric scale and concentration of chloride and metal ions. All students got correct results, an evidence of students' better understanding theory of environmental chemistry course and good practices for chemical calculations in previous classes.