IU supports Asian college

Most college students take certain things for granted, like computers, lab equipment and a library full of books. However, there are some colleges overseas that are not so fortunate as to offer this luxury to students. Through the help of IU and a grant from the State Department, these commodities are now available for students at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.\nIn the spring of 1999, the Office of International Programs wrote a budget proposal to work with AUCA and found out in the summer that IU had received a $1.9 million grant to help the new University get started. According to Patrick O'Meara, dean of the Office of International Programs, the project benefits both IU and AUCA.\n"For us it's an important project," O'Meara said. "It's a way of bringing people to Indiana University. Not only that, but we get the opportunity to be of service to another university while they are in the process of building … We will have an impact of a lot of peoples' lives."\nWith approximately 1,000 students, the campus not only receives financial support from IU in terms of electronic equipment, lab equipment and books for the library, it also receives instruction in setting up curriculum for specific programs. Through the help of other Indiana colleges like DePauw University, Franklin College and regional IU campuses, AUCA will be able to set up certain programs so they are taught in a Western style of learning. \nIU's main responsibilities for the project are to help with the day-to-day running of the university, O'Meara said. These things include administrative work, researching and teaching. To accurately help the professors at the AUCA learn how to teach in Western style, some of their professors have been to IU to observe. There is also a professor exchange that takes place, so AUCA professors will teach at IU for a semester and IU professors will teach at AUCA for a semester.\nTelecommunications Professor Herbert Terry had the opportunity to work in Kyrgyzstan in the fall of 2001. He was there to assist the journalism faculty in developing courses in media law. He was paired with an AUCA faculty member to do this. However, his visit was cut short by the Sept. 11 attacks.\nOne of the benefits of the project, Terry said, is the connections students can make with international faculty. This presents many new opportunities to the students and the universities the faculty represents.\n"The program brings some students from AUCA to IU and to, I think, some other U.S. institutions," he said. "Many of my students in Bishkek had been exchange students somewhere in the U.S. or Europe while in high school, but they also gain from U.S. college experiences and help internationalize IU Bloomington too."\nCharles Reafsnyder, associate dean of international research and development, would agree with that statement. IU has a strong Central Asian studies program and is trying to make the program better by being actively involved in the region. IU also currently has approximately 3,000 international students, she said, so the program and others like it will benefit the students as well. \n"We have a lot of support for their institution," Reafsnyder said. "They are making an impact and giving a model for this area of the world … It'd be hard to imagine a better project to work on."\nIn the summer of 2002, the State Department gave the project a favorable review and awarded IU a follow-up grant in the amount of $650,000. However, since it is uncertain how long grant money will be available for the project, IU is currently working on creating a $15 million endowment for the project. This way, income and support money will be available for AUCA for many years to come.