UCA at the Global Encounters Festival in Dubai, UAE: Celebrating 25 Years of Impact

The University of Central Asia (UCA) celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Global Encounters Festival in Dubai, marking a significant milestone of service and impact in the mountain regions of Central Asia. As a renowned international gathering, the festival brings together participants from across the globe to engage in arts, culture, sports, and intellectual exchange. UCA’s Silver Jubilee was commemorated with a special exhibition and a Friends of UCA reception, both spotlighting the University’s achievements, enduring legacy, and forward-looking vision.

The photo exhibition emphasised UCA’s significant contributions to Central Asia’s mountain communities over the past 25 years. It featured key milestones, core areas of activity, and the University's distinctive campus architecture. The exhibition also presented pioneering research, demonstrated UCA’s role in developing campus towns, and included graduate success stories that illustrate how undergraduate and Continuing Education programs equip professionals with relevant skills for the job market.

The exhibition offered interactive experiences that immersed visitors in UCA’s environment and the broader Central Asian region. Through virtual reality headsets, attendees toured campus facilities in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan and Khorog, Tajikistan. In the cultural section, participants engaged with traditional headwear, played Rubab and Komuz instruments, and listened to regional music, thereby experiencing Central Asian heritage. Additionally, visitors explored books on Central Asian culture provided by UCA’s Cultural Heritage and Humanities Unit, deepening their understanding of the region’s history and traditions.

In addition to the exhibition, the Friends of UCA reception further emphasised the University's presence at the festival. Nearly 100 participants, including students, alumni, staff, TKN volunteers, and donors from various countries, attended the event. Dr Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Chair of the Board of Trustees, delivered the keynote address, with additional remarks from Professor Christopher Gerry, Rector, and Mr Muzaffar Jorubov, Chief Operating Officer.

The program featured contributions from UCA community members. Fotima Mirzoeva, a graduate of SPCE’s Academic Achievement Programme, discussed the impact of SPCE on her academic and professional development. Mushtari Saidikova, a CAFDP Fellow and current PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge, presented research on air pollution and human health. Salina Kassam, a TKN photographer, described her experiences during her volunteer assignment with UCA and her interactions with beneficiaries.