The agreement was signed on November 10, 2012, at a ceremony at AUCA.  Coca-Cola provided drinks for the ceremony, while AUCA students provided the entertainment.  The partnership is not only for the MBA program, but also a commitment by both institutions to look for opportunities for cooperation in all aspects of their operations.  Coca-Cola will also be providing internships and opportunities to visit its factory to AUCA students.  AUCA and Coca-Cola will also work on developing innovative contests and projects for students and faculty to engage with.

At a lunch with AUCA students, Mr. Agaoglu encouraged them to go out and get experience, even if it is at a small company that nobody has heard of.  He said size does not matter, and that experience can come from the most unexpected of places if students make themselves open to it.  He also encouraged students to consider finance as a route to success, since this is the part of companies where the most important decisions get made.  Mr. Agaoglu himself climbed the Coca-Cola company ladder by starting in Turkmenistan as the director of finance, before coming to the Kyrgyz Republic, where he has been GM for 6 years.

Coca-Cola has previously been a sponsor of AUCA's Career Fair, and was also a sponsor of this year's AUCA Freshmen Initiation. AUCA anticipates that this agreement is only the beginning of what will become a beneficial partnership for both institutions, and looks forward to all forms of collaboration with Coca-Cola Bishkek Bottlers.  

More information on the partnership can be had by emailing: develop@auca.kg.