U.S. – Central Asia Education Foundation

American Councils for International Education: ACTR/ACCELS has been selected by the U.S. Agency for International Development to design and manage many aspects of the Central Asia Education Foundation (CAEF) initiative in both Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) and the United States. The Foundation’s mission is to encourage and assist development and growth of a vibrant open-market private business sector in Central Asia by supporting the quality of—and affordable access to—western business know-how and practices at institutions of higher learning in the region that have adopted Western curriculum and teaching methods. These institutions will provide opportunities for vital educational, vocational, and cultural experiences in countries that serve as positive examples of an open-market economy operating within a democratic environment, and establishing activities and practices that will generate a favorable environment in Central Asia to promote private business to succeed and entrepreneurial spirit to thrive.

The program will initially focus on three activities: (1) providing need-based business education scholarships to citizens of the five republics at three select universities located within the region; (2) designing and implementing a program of business faculty and curriculum development with each of the universities; and (3) creating an internship program for students to provide them with the opportunity to work or study abroad in democratic countries with open-market economies.

The Foundation will work with three Central Asian universities to structure the needs- based business scholarships, principally for undergraduates. The universities are: the Kazakhstan Institute of Management and Economics in Almaty, Kazakhstan; the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic; and the International Business School in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The Central Asia Education Foundation will use the existing infrastructure within the universities to help in the selection of scholarship students who fulfill the Foundation’s criteria, with the Foundation making final scholarship decisions. The universities have agreed to contribute to the Foundation, to assure commitment to the success of the program.

American Councils anticipates that over the 10-12 year lifespan of the program, over 1,700 one-year fellowships will be awarded; over 180 faculty training grants will be distributed; and over 60 professional internships will be granted. The program is substantially capitalized with an investment of approximately $15 million for business and economics students, faculty and programs.

Application form can be downloaded here

For more information, please visit the U.S. - CAEF website at www.us-caef.americancouncilsnetwork.org or contact the American Councils’ office in your home country: