Media, Applied Geology laboratories opened in AUCA

June 8, 2016

The American University of Central Asia officially opened two new laboratories: a geology laboratory for the Department of Applied Geology and a media laboratory for the Department of Television, Cinematography and Visual Art.

Both laboratories will be functional starting in the 2016-2017 academic year.

Andrew Wacthel, AUCA’s President, David Lakhdhir, the Chair of the AUCA board of trustees, Nazira Beishenalieva and Aijan Chynybaeva, both AUCA alumni and members of the board of trustees, Aktilek Tungatarov, the Director of the Department of Sustainable Development of the Kumtor Gold Company, and Gennady Bazarov, a film director and new faculty member for the Department of Television, Cinematography, and Visual Art, cut the ribbons to inaugurate the opening of the two laboratories.

Honored guests and organizing team of the event:

David Lakhdhir, William Newton Smith, Matthew Nimetz, Stanislav Karpovich, Nazira Beishenalieva, Liviu Matei, Almas Chukin, Jonathan Becker, members of the AUCA Board of Trustees
Aizhan Chynybaeva, President of the Rotary Club of Bishkek,
Gennady Bazarov, film director
Elira Turdubaeva, Head of the Department of Television, Cinematography and Visual Art
Zheenbek Kulenbekov, hydrogeologist, environmental geologist, faculty member of the Department of Applied Geology
AUCA students, faculty and staff

President Wachtel commented, “the idea of opening of the Department of Applied Geology was prompted by life itself. The Kyrgyz Republic has a shortage of human resources in technical professions. I believe that contributing to the education of young people is the best way to contribute to the socioeconomic development of the country. Social responsibility is very important for both AUCA and the Kumtor Gold Company.”

The Kumtor Gold Company is a partner of the University and provided financial support for the purchase of the lab equipment for applied geology.

Students in applied geology are now able to carry out environmental-chemical and geochemical lab research at AUCA (for example, testing water quality and measuring soil composition). Within the major, practical lab experience will be a requirement of the senior thesis project. The geological laboratory is also equipped with state-of-the-art geophysical lab equipment.

The Department of Applied Geology aims to create professional specialists with broad theoretical and practical knowledge of geology and its applications.

English language proficiency is another advantage of the applied geology major. Graduates will be able to read and apply the mainly English specialist literature and access the forefront of geological science and technology. According to Aktilek Tungatarov, the graduates of AUCA’s applied geology program will be in demand because the number of mining companies with foreign capital is growing and this industrial sector is in need of specialists.

The media lab is named after Dr. Hersh Chadha, an old friend of AUCA and a philanthropist. He donated to AUCA to purchase the equipment for the media lab, and as a result the lab has state-of-the-art TV, audio, and radio equipment as well as its own editing studio.

All of the new equipment will be accessible to students in the Department of Television, Cinematography and Visual Art with the explicit purpose of helping them acquire practical skills to cinematography, TV-radio reporting, graphic design, and animation.

“Opening of the Department of Television, Cinematography and Visual Art and its laboratory with high quality equipment gives the young people of Kyrgyzstan a great opportunity to improve their talents and practical skills,” said Gennady Bazarov, who will teach in the department.

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