BA Week: Interview with Saikal Anvar kyzy

April 3, 2013

-Tell us please, why did you choose AUCA? And why Business Administration?

Three of my cousins have graduated from AUCA, one from Economics Department, and two other – from Business Administration. Actually, it was their colorful stories about unique student and academic life in AUCA, full of great opportunities that enlightened my desire to apply for a bachelor degree there. Moreover, I have chosen BA in particular because of my lifelong passion to business. Since childhood I realized the sweetness of being an entrepreneur by selling rocks from a local river or organizing a lemonade stand in my neighborhood. It was an inexpressible feeling of freedom and happiness when first customers approached my stand and I made first few dollars of profit. From that moment I knew that I was born to become a businesswoman. Thus, I believed that unprecedented entrepreneurial approach taught by BA at AUCA perfectly matches my career aspirations in starting new businesses.

 

- Lots of students complain that BA is the most difficult department. Is it true? How do you handle with all those homework, quizzes and researches?

No, studying in BA is not more difficult than in any other department of AUCA. It might seem difficult because BA unites several business areas like Marketing, Management, Accounting and Finance. For creative people who would like to become a sales manger it might be challenging to study Accounting, and vise versa, for a future auditor International Marketing is definitely not the subject of extreme necessity. However, for any businessperson in order to be successful it is essential to have a clear understanding of all the powers and processes that influence the business, whether they are driven by customers, financial markets or employees. Therefore, this comprehension helped me, as a future financier; take such classes like HR Management as seriously and responsibly as Managerial Accounting. Thus, I believe that consciousness and thinking ahead with the inner thirst for knowledge do really help in organizing the daily routine, which leads to successful and timely passing of all those homework, quizzes and research papers.

 

- Tell us about your favorite classes from BA, why do you like it?

It is not difficult to guess that my favorite classes from BA represent all Accounting classes, Intro to Finance, Financial Markets and Instruments and Banking. They were challenging and highly demanding, required to spend hours for solving the tasks. However, these classes stimulated my thinking leading and helped to reveal the implicit characters like determination, perseverance and dedication to work. From other fields I was fond of such classes as Management, Business Communication, Marketing, Organizational Behavior, IT&IS and Business Ethics. Each of them was unique in its own sense, with “special something” that made the atmosphere in the class warm, bright and friendly. Nevertheless, the subject itself was not so interesting if professional, competent and humane professors did not teach it. Therefore, I want to specially give thanks to Olga Anatolievna Galimova for her exceptionally well training in accounting and strict quizzes, Natalia Nikolaevna Korosteleva who teaches how to be and look like a professional, Niels Koenig for his quality-led presentations, Nurbek Tokoldoshev for his energizing interest in finance, Nurlan Atabaev for kind and funny atmosphere in the class, Dinara Seitkazievna Bobusheva for the first acquaintance with business, Lira Djuraeva for her expressive and ingenuous personality, and Frank Ebinger for his philanthropy.

 

-You were a SIFE President. Tell us a little about your projects, competitions? How SIFE helped your professional skills? Did the selection of your department played a role in participation in SIFE?

In 2012 SIFE was rebranded as ENACTUS (Entrepreneurs in action) in order to show how students, business and academic leaders are united in a single entrepreneurship movement to improve the quality of life and standards of living of people in need through the power of business. Nowadays, Enactus Team of AUCA is handling six projects aimed to educate, prepare and assist vulnerable communities in Kyrgyzstan like unemployed, women and handicapped people in starting up their own businesses. For example, our new project – Manas Trail, is aimed to support inhabitants of Kyzyl-Tuu and Bokonbaevo villages situated on east cost of Issyk-Kul Lake by training local residents the basics of business and marketing, and establishing a community-based tourism there. Another project, Apashkin Lunch, is aimed to help unemployed women to earn profits at staying at homes! These and other projects can be found on our accounts on Facebook and Twitter.

Being a president of Enactus AUCA is not an easy thing that at first it may seems. It requires a lot of time and efforts to set SMART goals, organize meetings and events, motivate team members and control the activities of all the participants. Hence, you can see that management skills are extensively trained and developed here. Moreover, since every project and any event involves active interaction with various kinds of partners, sponsors, business mentors and academic advisors, where persuasion and confidence are of critical importance, my communication skills have been improved substantially. In addition, Enactus helped me to develop a professional network that would certainly help in building my future career. 

 

-What did your department give you?

First of all, BA gave me a solid theoretical background in almost all vital spheres of business. What is important that BA professors do not teach us to know the right answers on all possible questions, they teach us the methods how to find those answers by stimulating our thinking. That is why I love my department a lot – the teaching methodology provides a certain degree of freedom for students to explore their own ways in studying one or another topic, to make their own little discoveries.

Moreover, I feel strong support from my department in any of the activities I engage in ranging from helping with the schedule and including special on-demand classes to writing recommendations and finding an internship place. The latter was a huge support from my advisor – Olga Anatolievna Galimova, who recommended me for an open vacancy in Baker Tilly Bishkek audit firm. Thus, I am very grateful to my department for its openness, readiness to help and warm atmosphere. I believe that such liberal and humane conditions result in high conscious, purposeful and self-confident persons with undoubtedly successful future.

 

- Who do you want to be after graduation? In what field are you going to work?

I am planning to continue my studies and pursue a Masters degree in Finance. I feel it is necessary to obtain more technical skills in finance in order to be competitive on a job market. Actually, I have already been admitted to Masters in Finance program at Tilburg University, the Netherlands. After graduation, I am going to work in field of finance, probably insurance or banking.

 

- All BA students need to pass their internship as in other AUCA departments. What was your internship? What did you do? Was it interesting and helpful?

Olga Anatolievna Galimova recommended me to work as an intern in Baker Tilly Bishkek Audit Company. By the way, this company is created and managed by our BA alumni, Kubat Alymkolov. Actually, I was working as an auditor assistant, and performed a real audit of inventory and other accounts of one of the local companies. Honestly, it was extremely hard to study, work and prepare for Junior’s Ball at that moment, because auditors have to process tons of data within short period of time. Nevertheless, now I realize how useful this internship was for me. Two weeks of off-site working have substantially deepened my understanding of the financial and accounting matters, helped to derive a whole picture about how a company operates in real life.

 

-Are you planning to run your own business?

I will run my business in the long-term, hopefully finance will lead me to career of a professional actuary in the field of insurance. I am tempting to open an insurance company with wide range of services that will promote economic development of the Kyrgyz Republic. This career is especially attractive to me, since the local insurance market is underdeveloped, and the total assets of 17 companies do not exceed $25 mln. Considering political and economic turmoil, there is a big potential in this and other financial market like leasing or pension fund, and I want to grasp this opportunity. Bringing stability and modern approach in insurance company, along with the advanced actuarial calculations will serve as a competitive edge for my future company and me.

 

-Your wishes and advises to future BA students

I wish all future BA students be diligent in their studies, since this is the perfect time for you to receive the basic knowledge on which all your future career will step up – thus, be rational. Do not be afraid to set high goals and reveal your fullest potential to attain them – be effective. Moreover, I strongly recommend being consistent in everything you do and use your time wisely – be efficient. Finally, do not forget to take active part in Enactus AUCA – be proactive!

 

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