Andrew Wachtel: AUCA Prepares Students for Life

January 22, 2014

In 2013, the American University of Central Asia celebrated its 20^th anniversary. At the end of the year, we had a great opportunity to take stock of what we’ve accomplished and our plans for the future. We took advantage of that opportunity to talk with AUCA President Andrew Wachtel about the past, present, and future of the university.

How was the year 2013 for AUCA?
The year was good considering our budget. My colleagues laugh when I tell them about our financial situation. US universities are able to spend $7-9 million on football galas alone, while we only are able to ensure that our 1,000 students get the best education that we can give them. Remarkably, our students are not only competitive in Central Asia, but overseas as well. We don’t attempt to provide a perfect education, because that would be impossible. However, we do try to give our students the tools necessary for further development. It’s impossible and unnecessary to expect more from an education. When someone asks me if our graduates are “ready,” I answer, “No!” If our alumni have complete knowledge of their fields when they graduate, where will they be tomorrow or in five years? Students need to be taught flexibility and adaptability, skills that will still be useful five, ten, fifteen, or more years from now. We need to prepare students for the rest of their lives so that they stay active and are still useful for a long time. You can’t come to our university in the morning, attend a lecture, and leave again. It takes commitment. Students have a right to choose what they want to learn. Each student has an individualized, open curriculum. The communication that existsamong students allows them to make the most of their classes.

Are there any aspects of the university that need improvement?
We are continually developing our faculty’s research capabilities. In many ways, Kyrgyzstan is isolated from the rest of the academic world. We can’t afford to send our faculty members to international conferences all over the world. Of course, the internet provides opportunities for our faculty members to communicate with colleagues abroad, but it can’t replace live interactions. Moreover, our professors are young and in need of professional guidance from more experienced colleagues. We also feel the acute loss of an entire generation of young researchers who left the country in the late 80’s and 90’s. We now have an older cohort of researchers 60-65 years of age, who received a soviet education and aren’t as aware of modern scientific trends, and a young cohort who are enthusiastic but lacking in basic knowledge.

Do you have a special academic program for young people from low-income situations?
Yes, we do. We wanted to give talented but disadvantaged children from rural areas the opportunity to get advanced educations, so we partnered with a sponsor on a five-year program to do just that. In the program’s first year, 70 young people were the recipients of a free, preparatory education. Their studies were similar to an extra year in high school, with an emphasis on English and mathematics. Last year, 56 out of the original 70 passed exams to enter our university. We pay for around 35-40 of their educations. We’ll be able to see the results of the experiment after the end of this semester. I can tell you that these students are extremely motivated and hard working.

I know you have big construction plans. Could you tell me a little bit about that?
I’ve become hot on construction over the past two years, even though I don’t know anything about it. I’m an expert in literature [laughs]. We have a team of American architects following both American and local, 1970’s soviet construction norms. The project is quite serious, with a budget of about $25-27 million. We are building the most interesting campus in Central Asia, even more interesting than Nazarbaev University. We plan to finish up construction next year. The area of the main academic building will be 17.5sq. meters,three times bigger than the current space. There will be athletic fields, apartments for faculty members, and a dormitory for students. Despite the larger space in the main academic building, we’ll be able to save energy through a geothermal system of heating and cooling, the first of its kind in Central Asia. Our geothermal energy system will demonstrate a non-traditional approach to resource management through the use of sustainable energy from water underground. Our buildings will use only 15% of the electricity that standard buildings use. It will be a working laboratory for our new department of environmental studies. There are even more surprises, but I won’t spoil them. You’ll see them on opening day!

It’s New Year’s Eve. Please share your plans for the future.

I hope to see a lot of our plans come to fruition, especially in the scientific and technical areas (a larger faculty, more practical classes, better laboratories and equipment are needed). We also have new programs on complex system modeling, software engineering, and, in partnership with the Agricultural University, sustainable development and environment. I think geology will be the next program to open, as the sector is highly relevant in Kyrgyzstan and there is a lack of qualified specialists. We are also considering opening a branch in Kazakhstan, since we are the American University of Central Asia. We’d also like to expand the number of international students, particularly from Korea, China, India, and Pakistan. This will be interesting for and useful to local students. These are our plans for the next five years.

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