Study Abroad Programs in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Hosted by the American University of Central Asia (AUCA), this extraordinary program empowers students to design, create, and launch products that make meaningful contributions to the growth of local communities in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Working in the AUCA Makerspace, students then create and refine actual prototypes of the product they’ve conceived, develop a sustainability plan for production and marketing, and create a business pitch to be delivered before local experts and potential investors. In addition to rigorous semester academic coursework in Central Asian Studies, Design Thinking, and Social Entrepreneurship, it provides precisely the hands-on, professional experience most in demand by today’s employers, including problem-solving, leadership, communication, teamwork, and adaptability. A major emphasis of the program is community engagement: students must be prepared to actively participate in dialogue with local people to learn about their lives and challenges; to consider productive, sustainable strategies that strengthen their host community; and to think empathetically about people whose beliefs and perspectives reflect a history and culture unlike their own.

In Bishkek, you will find a highly personalized and customizable program of intensive language instruction. Although one of our most popular locations, class sizes in Bishkek are the smallest, you can focus on your language skills through personalized attention and optional, specialized language electives, including the study of other Central Asian languages. Peer tutoring and an integrated cultural program focusing on Central Asian cultures will take your learning outside the classroom as optional travel opportunities and active, recommended home stays.

Enroll in a Russian language and immersion course at a school in Bishkek, Krgyzstan. The school has an extensive multi-language audiovisual library, 21 modern classrooms, and an international staff from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Krygyzstan. Apart from on-site intensive language courses, the school also runs summer packages that combine language study with homestay immersion and horse treks, as well as individually tailored programs. Students attend four lessons daily, or 20 private lessons per week. Each lesson lasts approximately one hour. While in Bishkek, students may opt to live in homestay accommodations with a host family, who will provide them with two meals per day, bed linens, and keys to their lodging, or at a residence in a private room shared with other international students. Residence accommodations do not include meals.