AKIPRESS.COM - A high-level delegation from the University of Central Asia (UCA), including Mr Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, Executive Chairman of UCA’s Board Executive Committee and Aga Khan Development Network Diplomatic Representative for Kyrgyzstan, and Dr Ariff Kachra, UCA Dean of Academic Affairs visited the Higher School of Economics University (HSE) in Moscow on July 23.

The delegation was hosted by the First Vice Rector Professor Vadim Radaev and Vice Rector Sergei Erofeev along with other senior staff at HSE. UCA was invited to visit and explore collaboration opportunities. HSE was established in 1992 as the first Russian school with international academic standards to train economists for the post-Soviet economy. It emerged as an interdisciplinary university and has become one of the most competitive and well-respected universities in Russia, earning its status as a National Research University. UCA was founded in 2000 to offer an internationally recognised standard of higher education and prepare graduates to contribute leadership, ideas and innovation to the economies and communities of Central Asia.

During their visit, the UCA team toured HSE facilities and met with the leadership, faculty and administration of various HSE faculties and programmes, including computer science, economic sciences and the Institute of Education. During their meetings, they explored a potential long-term partnership between the two universities.

“We were particularly impressed by the enthusiasm of the HSE leadership and faculty in identifying potential linkages between our institutions. With our shared focus on creating high quality and economically relevant educational programmes in the post-Soviet era, UCA can benefit from the experience of HSE and the quality of programmes it has successfully launched over the past two decades,” said Kassim-Lakha.

Potential areas of cooperation were explored, include research, curriculum, and faculty development. The HSE Institute of Education could also contribute to the planning and development of UCA programmes. HSE’s stellar faculty in various disciplines including computer science could also be invited to participate in faculty exchanges and visiting opportunities. HSE’s graduate programmes will also likely be of value to UCA graduates wishing to pursue higher degrees.

Following the meeting, HSE leadership accepted Kassim-Lakha’s invitation to visit UCA facilities in Bishkek and Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic and in Dushanbe and Khorog, Tajikistan.

Both HSE and UCA were created to respond to the realities of the post-Soviet economies of the broader region. Both are multi-campus universities. HSE has four campuses, in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Perm. UCA is currently building three campuses; in Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic (due to open in September 2016), Khorog, Tajikistan (scheduled to open in 2018) and Tekeli, Kazakhstan (scheduled to open in 2020). Both universities offer English language instruction in their degree programmes and credits that are easily transferable, and both share a commitment to the delivery of relevant courses that address the transitional economies and market needs of the broader region.