About the University of Central Asia

One University, Three Schools

The University of Central Asia (UCA) was founded in 2000 as a private, not for profit, secular university through an International Treaty signed by the Presidents of the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, and His Highness the Aga Khan; ratified by their respective parliaments, and registered with the United Nations. The Presidents are the Patrons of the University and His Highness is the Chancellor. UCA brings with it the broader commitment and partnership of the Aga Khan Development Network.

UCA's undergraduate programmes are located at its residential campuses in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan, and Khorog, Tajikistan. The Tekeli campus in Kazakhstan is expected to start classes in 2021/2022. Located in scenic mountain settings, UCA's campuses have world class academic and residential facilities. The towns of Naryn, Khorog, and Tekeli offer culturally and ecologically rich environments and communities. By locating the campuses in secondary cities and rural settings, UCA hopes to be at the heart of an intellectual and economic transformation in the region. The campuses are also located along the Silk Road, a historic trade and transportation route that facilitated the global exchange of goods, cultures, and ideas for centuries.

UCA consists of three schools including:

• Undergraduate School of Arts and Sciences
• Graduate School of Development
  • Institute of Public Policy and Administration
  • Mountain Societies Research Institute
  • Cultural Heritage and Humanities Unit
• School of Professional and Continuing Education

UCA also includes the Central Asian Faculty Development Programme, and the Aga Khan Humanities Project.

Mission

The mission of UCA is to promote the social and economic development of Central Asia, particularly its mountain communities, by offering an internationally recognised standard of higher education, and enabling the peoples of the region to preserve their rich cultural heritage as assets for the future.

UCA seeks to contribute leadership, ideas, and innovations to the transitioning economies and communities of the region through educational and vigorous research programmes that produce knowledgeable, skilled, and creative graduates.

Partners

UCA is an international endeavour built on partnerships that promote the exchange of information and resources, the creation of opportunities, and the promotion of excellence in higher education within and beyond Central Asia. UCA partnerships cross political borders and sectors. Generous financial support from the region's governments, the international donor community, philanthropists, and His Highness the Aga Khan and have enabled the University to undertake this most unique aim.

The following institutional partners have contributed to UCA's programmes, and their support is gratefully acknowledged.

Academic Partners

• Seneca College, Canada: Preparatory Programme
• University of Technology Sydney, Australia: Communications and Media
• University of Toronto, Canada: Computer Science
• University of British Columbia, Canada: Earth and Environmental Sciences
• Stockholm School of Economics/Riga, Latvia: Economics
• National Research University's Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia: Economics
• University of Victoria, Canada: Cooperative Education Programme

Institutional Partners