UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ASIA (UCA)

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Dr Almazbek Beishenaliev, Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, addressing UCA graduands in Naryn.
UCA

Central Asia, 22 June 2022 – Last Saturday, amid the majestic mountains of the Pamirs and Tien Shan, the graduation ceremonies at the two University of Central Asia (UCA) campuses in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan and Khorog, Tajikistan brought together parents, faculty and distinguished guests who came to congratulate the students for their academic achievements and prospects of success.

The event began with a resounding applause as the graduands – proudly displaying their gowns adorned with a creative combination of motifs from the rich cultural traditions of Central Asia – took their seats in anticipation of their degrees.

On behalf of the Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan, Princess Zahra Aga Khan, who is also a trustee of UCA, conveyed a special message of congratulations. She also highlighted the global challenges of climate change, for which solutions and adaptative measures must be identified and implemented locally.

“The reason that UCA teaches Earth and Environmental Sciences is that climate change will affect Central Asia as it will the rest of the planet. It will force changes to the ways you grow and distribute food; to your approach towards resources; and to the way you will build houses in the future. It will also create a raft of new jobs and careers that will be essential in the decades to come.

Most importantly, you, the students of today, will be the scientists of tomorrow. Those who can model and predict natural disasters as well as predict future changes in the climate, and the effect it will have on humans in the next hundred years or more. These scientists will be greatly in demand in various careers, from biology, geology and geography, to physics and chemistry, because all these fields will evolve with climate change, and career options will be varied and crucially important.”

As the ceremony’s chief guest in Naryn, the Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, Dr Almazbek Beishenaliev, lauded the efforts of UCA in encouraging research relevant to the needs and challenges of the region: “I am confident that UCA graduates will make a significant contribution not only to the development of Kyrgyzstan, but the wider Central Asian region.” He was amongst a number of distinguished guests who spoke at the ceremony.

Dr Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Chairman of UCA’s Board of Trustees, emphasised the significant role people skills play in professional success: “The education you have received was designed to instil in you a pluralistic mindset to help unify cultures and nationalities, prepare you for responsible citizenship, as well as ethical and enlightened governance; and to think logically and critically. In short, you have been provided resources to help you become leaders in whatever is your chosen career.”

Dr Sohail Naqvi, Rector of UCA, paying tribute to the students and their parents, noted that remaining true to the Chancellor’s vision, the graduands have strived to understand the needs and challenges of rural communities and how to chart a path for their development.

Mr Alisher Mirzonabot, Governor of Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan Province, highlighted the high level of education that UCA provides its students, and the importance of continuing education.

Speaking about the productive relationship between Naryn Oblast and UCA, Governor Sabyrkul Ashimbaev appreciated some of the significant projects in the pipeline, such as the Naryn master plan and the Smart City project, and funding from the Swiss Government to make the region more resilient and sustainable.

Sumaino Shakarbekova, valedictorian of the class of 2022, expressed her gratitude to His Highness the Aga Khan as well as university administration and teachers for the opportunity to receive a world-class education. She shared her story as a young girl growing up in the remote Ishkashim district of GBAO, where girls don’t dare to dream big. But despite the odds she did dream big and achieved something no one from her village ever had.

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Tajikistan, Central Asia

Tajikistan puts the squeeze on Aga Khan-linked entities
The pressure comes months after a crackdown in the Pamirs against followers of the Europe-based religious leader.
Jul 28, 2022

The University of Central Asia in Khorog was built with funding from the Agha Khan. (Photo: University of Central Asia) The University of Central Asia in Khorog was built with funding from the Aga Khan. (Photo: University of Central Asia)

Authorities in Tajikistan are putting the squeeze on organizations and companies controlled by the Aga Khan, the Europe-based philanthropist deemed by the Shia Ismailis of the country’s eastern Pamirs region to be a spiritual leader.

The assault is proceeding on multiple fronts.

Pamir Daily News, a Telegram-based outlet focusing on events in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, or GBAO, reported last weekend that the Education Ministry is poised to revoke the license of a high school affiliated with the University of Central Asia, a college in the GBAO capital of Khorog funded by the Aga Khan Development Network, or AKDN.

Other activities aimed at children have seemingly been pressure into winding down their activities. Summer camps for schoolchildren from the GBAO funded by an Aga Khan organization have been cancelled. Employees at a kindergarten run by the University of Central Asia, or UCA, are concerned their institution is being targeted for nationalization.

Neither the AKDN nor the Tajik government have commented on any of these developments.

Commercial entities linked to the Aga Khan are feeling the heat too.

First Microfinance Bank, a lender, and the TCell mobile telecommunications company have both been subjected to surprise audits, according to employees at the companies who spoke on condition of anonymity. Whole appropriations of companies by figures within or close to the family of President Emomali Rahmon have occurred frequently over the past decades. Insiders at those companies worry that an audit may be intended to reveal purportedly compromising information to lay the ground for a repeat of the scenario.

The roots of this barrage against companies controlled by a philanthropist who has invested countless millions into the development of Tajikistan likely lies in recent efforts by the Rahmon regime to consolidate its control over the restive GBAO region, where most of the Aga Khan’s Tajik followers live.

A government crackdown initiated in May culminated in many dozens of arrests and the killing of a group of informal local leaders – Mamadbokir Mamadbokirov, Khursand Mazorov and Zoir Rajabov. Another well-known informal Pamiri leader, Tolib Ayombekov, was arrested in June.

The AKDN began operating in Tajikistan shortly after the country gained independence in 1991. GBAO residents credit it with averting an even worse humanitarian catastrophe than occurred during the civil war of the 1990s, when the main road to the region was closed.

Since that time, the AKDN has extended its activities in Tajikistan well beyond just emergency humanitarian efforts to education, health, energy, agriculture, banking and telecommunications. It is the largest employer in GBAO, a region sorely lacking in economic opportunities.

The current Aga Khan, Prince Shah Karim al-Husseini, visited the Tajik Pamirs in May 1995 – an occasion that is memorialized to this day as Ruzi Nur (Day of Light). Festivities are also held to mark the Aga Khan’s birthday.

This has grated with officials in Dushanbe, which has fashioned a cult of personality in honor of Rahmon, who state media is required to address by his full title: The Founder of Peace and National Unity — Leader of the Nation.

The last time the Aga Khan visited Tajikistan was in April 2012. Pamiris had hoped to see him since then for the official opening of one of several institutions built with his money – those included the University of Central Asia in Khorog – but it appears probable that this eventually was resisted by the Tajik government.

Following the crackdown earlier this year, the authorities have removed paraphernalia in GBAO invoking the Aga Khan. A arrangement of stones laid out on a mountainside bearing Ismaili symbols and a welcome greeting for the Aga Khan was recently removed.

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Exactly a year after the University of Central Asia’s historic inaugural convocation ceremony, its new Class of 2022 celebrated their achievements and became the second graduating class. A total of 66 students from the Naryn and Khorog campuses graduated from UCA and look forward to sharing their knowledge and skills among wider society.

At the ceremony, the keynote address was delivered by Princess Zahra, a trustee of the University, who spoke on behalf of Mawlana Hazar Imam.

“It is the Chancellor’s hope that the graduates of the School of Arts and Sciences will not only find employment opportunities in the region, but also that the graduates will themselves create employment opportunities and successful businesses to invigorate the economy of the entire region,” said Princess Zahra. “Building an active and successful economic environment will improve the lives of all communities and add to social stability and well-being for all.”

“As you continue your professional journey, our hopes and aspirations go with you,” she added. “Ultimately, UCA’s success will be measured by the success of its graduates. No effort has been spared to provide you with the necessary knowledge and skills to enable you to thrive in a rapidly changing world, and it is our dearest hope that you will underpin your professional growth with the values of pluralism, responsible citizenship and ethical leadership.”


Princess Zahra, a trustee of UCA, delivered a keynote address at the University's convocation ceremony for the Class of 2022.
PHOTO: UCA

Also in attendance at the ceremony were Dr Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Professor Sohail H. Naqvi, the Rector; and government representatives of both Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan.

The previous evening, an awards night took place to acknowledge students for their academic and extracurricular achievements throughout the five years of undergraduate study. Prizes included the all-round leadership award, outstanding community service award, the best co-op student, best athlete, innovative diploma project, and outstanding graduate. Academic awards were presented based on majors, while awards for extracurricular achievements were campus-based.

Sumaino Shakarbekova from Ishkashim in Tajikistan received the outstanding graduate award among the Communication and Media group of students. She was also selected to be the class valedictorian.

“I am extremely humbled to receive the outstanding graduate award and become the valedictorian of the Class of 2022,” said Sumaino. “I extend my gratitude to His Highness the Aga Khan and the board of trustees for their vision and support for a university dedicated to such a superior quality of higher education in mountain communities of Central Asia. I also want to thank the people who supported me and believed in me, especially my family, without whom I would not be able to stay and receive these awards today.”

This award is presented to graduates who have excelled in all areas and have invested time and effort towards improving community life at UCA and beyond.

Valeriya Nikiforova from Kazakhstan, who studied computer science, received the innovative diploma project award. Her final project helped to build smart, digital libraries for rural communities in Central Asia.

“The vision of this project was to develop a low-cost electronic library that would allow rural communities to overcome Internet speed limitations,” she explained. “The open-source library stores, automatically downloads, and shares materials such as videos, books, news, and government websites.”

Valeriya plans to implement this project on a larger scale in the future, and make e-libraries more accessible for rural communities with limited access to the Internet.

Graduates of the Class of 2022 describe their learning experience at UCA as rich and transformative. “UCA has transformed me from an enthusiastic young boy to a media practitioner with a vision of bringing social change in mountain communities,” said Mubashir Ali Shah Artas from Pakistan, who earned a degree in Communication and Media.

Some of the new cohort of graduates have earned admission to universities in the USA, Europe, and Russia for graduate studies. Others prefer to work for a year or two to gain experience and explore different fields before pursuing a master's degree.

“The realm of communications and media is incredibly diverse and fascinating,” said Anisa Alinazarova, from Khorog in Tajikistan. “I have learned a lot in the past five years.”

Despite this, Anisa believes that the soft skills and values developed over the past five years will play a larger role in building their careers and meeting the challenges of the wider world after life at UCA.

“Gaining some work experience will help me choose my interests so that I can pursue further studies,” said Mehmood Yar Baig from Pakistan, who studied Computer Science. “Apart from studies, the aim is to strive for improving quality of life in highly marginalised areas in the mountains, and I strongly believe that it's our duty to help those in need around us.”

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Manizha Murodbekova is a graduate of Media & Communications at the University of Central Asia (Naryn campus), and received the all-round leadership award and outstanding community service award at its recent convocation. She currently serves as an Intern with The Ismaili.

More photos at:

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The concept of minimalism promotes seeking meaning and happiness from life without accumulating excess material possessions. At this year’s TEDx conference in Naryn, speakers shared their insights on this concept from philosophical, ecological, financial, and linguistic perspectives.

Speakers from various cultural and professional backgrounds came together earlier this year for TEDx UCA Naryn, which was finally hosted in -person after multiple postponements due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A TEDx conference is a local gathering where live talks and performances are shared with a community of curious, like-minded people. The content and design of each conference is unique – the goal is to spark conversation and connection, and to spread ideas. The event in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan, was no different.

A diverse group of guests were in attendance, including students and staff of the University of Central Asia (UCA), students from other international universities in Kyrgyzstan, and representatives of media and technology organisations in the country.

The TED umbrella organisation was founded in North America in 1984 with the aim to educate individuals on the convergence of Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED). Their conferences have become famous for their short, yet informative lectures and their collection of more than 3,000 talks have been watched over a billion times worldwide.

TEDx events are planned and coordinated independently from TED but are organised under its licence, and follow certain guiding principles. This year’s event in Naryn, supported by UCA, was hosted under the theme “less is more,” which included a number of sub-themes.

Seeking truth and authenticity

An awareness of death, and the process of dying often leads people to live a simpler, truer life, suggested speaker Lucy Palmer, a Senior Lecturer at UCA. Lucy, from Australia, works as a journalist, foreign correspondent, and radio documentary maker. She is also a twice-published author.

“There is something about the idea of our own mortality that somewhat sharpens the mind,” Dr Palmer said. “What if you had 6 months to live or six weeks to live. What would you spend your time doing?,” she asked the audience. “Your answer will tell you what you need to be doing with your life. Or what you need to be doing more of in your life.”
In her talk, she explored her experiences with dying people, the clarity they find about what truly matters, and the wisdom they leave behind.

Similarly, Alif Khalfan, from the United States, focused his talk on what really matters in life. He spoke of the ‘minimalist’ lifestyle trend and its advantages in the age of overconsumption and materialism. Alif currently serves as Vice President at Walt Disney’s theme parks in California. He shared his philosophy of decreasing social media consumption, and focusing more on finding purpose in life.

Serving others doesn’t have any prerequisites, he stated. “Unlike with a job where we have to qualify to participate, or an item we have to save up money to afford, we have the opportunity to serve at every age and stage of our lives. And as we grow and learn, we then have more to share.”

“When we leave this earth,” he added, “the most valuable assets we leave behind are not material goods, but rather the memories and knowledge we spread to those who survive us.”

Habits and financial literacy

The concept of habit-forming was promoted by Abdullah Nazari, a Computer Science student at UCA, originally from Afghanistan. His talk focused on the processes of developing good habits, in contrast with bad habits, and the possibilities and consequences of each.

Ainura Amanalieva, co-founder of the Ololo group of companies in Kyrgyzstan was next up. Her talk centred on financial literacy in Central Asia. She explained how the concept of minimalism can help to allocate money in a financially responsible way.

Keeping track of your spending is easier, she said, once you build the habit of refusing to waste money on things that don’t legitimately add value to your life.

“Sometimes we don't realise how much the choices that we make affect our future,” Ainura said. “We often have to make choices. Car or Education? A Fancy Wedding or a Start-up? New pair of jeans or programming classes?

“Simple choices can change our life. What will you choose?”

Words, attention and being present

In her younger years, two accidents changed the life of Dinara Ruslan, an entrepreneur and CEO/ Founder of IT company Codify, based in Singapore. She recounted her journey from a shy young girl with speech defects and panic attacks to a successful woman entrepreneur and public speaker, helped by the life-changing power of words. Dinara believes that words are powerful, and that more words do not necessarily mean better. Fewer words, but deeper ones, expressed with love and care are more important, she said.

“Words are a very powerful tool,” Dinara said. “Words can be used as a weapon to hurt. To make them feel pain. But at the same time, powerful words can heal people.”

Dr Soheil Ashrafi, Associate Dean and Chair of the Communications and Media department at UCA’s Naryn Campus also had an opportunity to speak at the conference. Dr Soheil is from Australia but is rooted in Iran. In his talk, he suggested that humans are the embodiment of their attention and behaviour; our accomplishments and failures are bound by the ways in which we attend to objects, questions, problems, ideas, and situations.

The talks were followed by musical performances by UCA students and children from the local music school.

In today’s age of distraction and information overload, we often come across images of opulence and overconsumption. The conference helped the audience to think deeper about prevailing attitudes and move towards a minimalist approach.

“In my career, TEDx Naryn has been the most impressive event fully conceived and organised by students that I have participated in,” enthused Dr Ashrafi.

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Manizha Murodbekova is a graduate of Media & Communications at the University of Central Asia (Naryn campus), and received the all-round leadership award and outstanding community service award at its recent convocation. She currently serves as an Intern with The Ismaili.

https://the.ismaili/global/news/communi ... e%E2%80%9D

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Central Asia, 16 June 2023 - Amid the majestic mountains of the Pamirs and Tien Shan, the graduation ceremonies at the two University of Central Asia (UCA) campuses in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan and Khorog, Tajikistan brought together parents, faculty and distinguished guests – both in-person and via live stream – to congratulate the students for their achievements and prospects of success, share in their moment of joy and wish them well as they set forward on new paths to realise their dreams.

Princess Zahra Aga Khan, a member of UCA's Board of Trustees, attended the ceremony in Naryn and addressed the guests. She recognised the contributions made by those who have supported the success and achievements of the graduates, as well as the overall progress of UCA. She thanked the faculty and staff, "who sparked the graduates' curiosity and stimulated their hunger for knowledge". She also extended her profound gratitude to donors, partners and volunteers. "Without their abundant generosity and assistance, the University of Central Asia would not be sending these talented women and men into the world," she said.

Princess Zahra’s address included a message from His Highness the Aga Khan, Chancellor and Founder of the University. It emphasised that the graduates have received an education that has prepared them to tackle the challenges faced by Central Asia and the world, such as new forms of artificial intelligence and climate change.

You have been trained in computer science, environmental science, economics and communications – each a field of vital importance. You have discovered what it means to live in a diverse community. Above all, you have learned that challenges are not to be feared but to be embraced.
His Highness the Aga Khan, Chancellor of the University of Central Asia

Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Chairman of UCA's Board of Trustees, delivered a welcome address and expressed deep appreciation on behalf of the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees to the patrons of the University – the Presidents of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Kazakhstan – for their valuable support of UCA. He stated, "We thank the Ministry of Education and Sciences of the three founding states for helping us implement innovative educational programmes. We are grateful to the oblast governors and mayors of Naryn, Khorog and Tekeli for welcoming UCA as part of their communities."

Anita Zaidi, President of the Gender Equality Division at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, made a keynote address. A graduate of the Aga Khan University (AKU), she shared powerful lessons from her life and career, which have focused on combating infectious diseases that affect children and advocating for a more gender-equal world. Recalling her meeting with His Highness the Aga Khan amongst graduates of AKU’s medical school and advice received from him to serve her home country, Pakistan, she urged the graduates to serve Central Asia as they embark on their professional journeys, emphasising the importance of giving back to their communities.



“We provide a ticket to a magnificent life to our children, the graduates of one of the few universities in the world whose energy is directed toward enhancing the quality of life of mountain communities,” stated His Excellency Imanaliev Kanybek Kapashovich, Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, who attended the ceremony as a chief guest at UCA’s Naryn campus.

A chief guest at UCA’s Khorog campus, Dr Hudoydodzoda Farrukh of the Tajik Ministry of Education and Science said, “I am delighted that the University of Central Asia has established close cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan and other educational agencies of the Republic of Tajikistan and I am confident that it will make a significant contribution to the education of the country in the future.”

Class valedictorian Wajahat Khan, who hails from a rural part of Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan, where he used to walk 6 km every day to get to school, expressed gratitude to all the parents for their unwavering care and sacrifices, without which the graduates would not have achieved their accomplishments. He also urged his fellow graduates to maintain an attitude of care and responsibility towards society, stating, "We should be an example of the change we want to see in the world. We should be advocates and ambassadors of peace and knowledge as we embark on new paths and adventures."

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February 13, 2024

By Bruce Pannier


Tajik Government Seizes Aga-Khan’s University

Tajik authorities have nationalized the University of Central Asia (UCA) built by the Aga Khan in Khorugh, the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO).

Chairman of Tajikistan’s Supreme Economic Court Rustam Mirzozoda confirmed the nationalization of the UCA on February 8, saying GBAO local authorities in the late 1990s “made mistakes” in transferring the land.

It’s the latest blow to the Pamiri community in GBAO.

Most Pamiris are Ismaili Shiite Muslims and followers of the Aga Khan.

Since a government security operation in May 2022, the Aga Khan Development Network medical center, lyceum, park in Khorugh, and other facilities in GBAO have all been nationalized.

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Tajik authorities have nationalized the University of Central Asia (UCA) built by the Aga Khan in Khorugh, the capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO).[/B]

Very sad news indeed. I hope and pray a solution can be found. It will be a great loss to the region.

[Admin]

SOme countries do have difficulties respecting international laws and treatise. the UK during Brexit, USA under Trump got out of many such international treatises, Israel never respected any and Tajikistan is in the same category of countries signing international treaty but not respecting them, in particular, in this treaty of the UCA, other countries and international organisations are involved so the decision may be reverted in the future.