Winner. University of the Year 2022

Kyrgyz State University named after I. Arabaev

Motto: Respecting traditions open for innovations
Type: Public
Established: 1945

Rector: Prof. Dr. Aigul Abdraeva
Academic staff: 900
Administrative staff: 200
Students: 9000
Address: 51 Razzakov Str., Bishkek, Chui, 720040, The Kyrgyz Republic
Website: www.arabaev.kg

Kyrgyz State University named after I. Arabaev is one of the largest competitive institutions in the field of education of the Kyrgyz Republic. The University provides training, retraining, and advanced personnel training for scientific and educational institutions, government bodies, enterprises, and organizations of various branches of education and science in Kyrgyzstan, near and far abroad.

The beginning of the historical path and pedagogical activity of KSU named after I. Arabaev corresponds to the years of the Great Patriotic War. With its beginning, the teachers with more or less experience were drawn to the front. The number of children of school age also increased due to the children who were evacuated from the country's western regions. Despite the difficulties of the war period, the education system in Kyrgyzstan did not stop its work and made promising steps in the organization of educational institutions, teacher training continued.

Based on the Resolution No.825 of the Council of People's Commissars of the Kyrgyz SSR dated December 15, 1944, and Order No.11 of the Commissariat of People's Education of the Kyrgyz SSR dated January 19, 1945, a pedagogical school for girls was opened in the city of Frunze. First of all, this school aimed to train primary school teachers among Kyrgyz girls.

The Kyrgyz Women's Pedagogical School began its work on February 1, 1945. It was planned to admit 100 students per year to this educational institution, and to admit 15-17 y.o. Kyrgyz girls with seven years of education. In 1945, the majority of the students of the school were women from Frunze region. From 1945 to 1951, 319 Kyrgyz women graduated from this educational institution and received the "primary school teacher" qualification. The students of the educational institution were fully provided by the state with accommodation, food, textbooks, teaching aids, etc.

The goal of organizing Kyrgyz women's pedagogical school was to make Kyrgyz girls acquire a certain level of specialization to fill the place of soldiers-teachers who went to the front. A special plan was given to each oblast and each district, and the Kyrgyz girls who completed the 7th grade were invited from across the republic. Nowadays, this is the modern Kyrgyz State University, where teachers from all around the country are trained to get a qualified education.

KSU named after I. Arabaev is a center of education that unites the creative community of professors, associate professors, teachers, graduate students, undergraduates, and students who adhere to the professional knowledge, interests, and advanced democratic traditions of domestic and international pedagogical education, science, and culture. The university is one of the leaders in developing pedagogical science and education in the Kyrgyz Republic. Many authors of educational materials and scientific works are actively working at the school.

KSU named after I. Arabaev carries out educational activities in the field of secondary vocational, higher, additional, and postgraduate vocational education in areas and specialties:
• 19 secondary vocational education programs;
• 33 specialties (bachelor) of higher professional education;
• 21 master's programs for the preparation of masters, according to the licenses of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic;
• 24 postgraduate professional education programs (postgraduate and doctoral studies);
• gymnasium of oriental languages.

Scientists of KSU named after I. Arabaev actively participate in international and republican conferences, SCOPUS, WEB OF SCIENCE, etc., and have been publishing articles in leading scientific journals. Employees of KMU published about 1,300 scientific works in scientific publications registered at RINC within a few years.

7 specialized dissertation councils are actively working at KSU named after I. Arabaev.

International activities at Kyrgyz State University named after I. Arabaev are carried out in accordance with the Legislation and regulations of the Kyrgyz Republic. The University has good relationships with foreign partners. The Ambassadors of China, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Ukraine, Hungary, South Korea, and Japan visited KSU named after I. Arabaev, as well as representatives of international organizations, such as UNDP, UNESCO, DAAD, TIKA, KOICA, AKDN.

More than 90 contracts with foreign partners such as China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, etc. are functioning nowadays.

In 2022, Kyrgyz State University named after I. Arabaev was awarded the international quality award "Quality Choice Prize 2022" by the European Society for Quality Research (ESQR) as part of the annual quality recognition program.

Kyrgyz State University named after I. Arabaev, with a 77-year history, makes a huge contribution to the socio-economic development of the state. The University is one of the leaders in the development of pedagogical science and education in the Kyrgyz Republic. Contributing to the transformation of science and education into an innovative center, implementing multi-level educational programs and training of competitive personnel - the priority direction and mission of KSU named after I. Arabaev.

In recent years, a number of major projects have been successfully implemented, among them:
• CAFIN «Central Asian Finnish Education Institutes Network» Food safety and development of biotechnology. 2012-2014 Network project for green biotechnology and food security (Finland - FGET);
• Project "Building Bridges" on social pedagogy (Norway);
• UNESCO project “Strengthening the Capacity of Countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia for Healthy Lifestyles”;
• Soros Foundation project “Improving the Capacity of Methodologists of the Education System of the Kyrgyz Republic to Promote the Content Lines of the Global Environmental Conventions”.

In 2021, the EPCA project, Environmental Protection in Central Asia “Disaster Risk Management with Spatial Methods” was completed.

The Psychology department is successfully working on the projects: “Assistance in improving the training system for social specialists through identifying and assessing the training needs of teachers and students/context for the training of psychologists”, “Assisting in improving the training system for future employees of the EMS of the KR through identifying and assessing training needs". The Institute of Requalification of Pedagogical Specialists are working with Germany on the project: "Institutionalization of the Curriculum GlobALE Curriculum in the Formal Education Sector" within the framework of the BMZ project "Promotion of Adult Education in Asia". The Institute of Foreign Languages and Computer Linguistics is working with Austria, and there is an Austrian Library Abroad in the Institute.

Many teachers, staff, and students have completed internships abroad and successfully participate in international conferences, and in this regard, it should be noted the intensification of academic mobility both among students and the faculty members, for example, successful internships for students from China, Korea, USCO, Russia (MSLU, Belgorod University), universities of Bashkortostan, and Kazakhstan.

During the year, active online meetings were held at the level of Vice-Rectors with the Karoli Eshterhazy University in Eger (Hungary) with the prospect of opening a center for the Hungarian language and culture.

It should also be noted the stable number of 3,000 international students and 30 foreign undergraduates admitted in 2021, which is the result of the work of the administration and heads of structural divisions to attract students from the CIS countries and abroad. The largest number of foreign undergraduates study at the Faculty of Pedagogy and the Faculty of Biology and Chemistry. 20 undergraduates from China study online at the International Master's Center (IMC).

As a result of the international activities of the university administration and structural divisions, additional financial resources were attracted in the last academic year through the search for grants.

The KSU named after I. Arabaev is a member of several international organizations and institutions:
2011 - Astana city, Kazakhstan, Taraz declaration "Memorandum of Higher Educational Institutions of the Eurasian Space";
2011 - the city of Bologna, Italy, European Charter of Universities;
2014 - SCUU in cooperation with BelMU in the field of "Pedagogy" and "Area Studies";
2016 - Association of Central Asian Universities;
2016 - Association of Eurasian Pedagogical Universities;
2018 - Public Council of Base Institutions of the CIS States on the Training of Pedagogical Personnel;
2018 - Association of Asian Universities;
2018 - ProSPERN.Net - Alliance of Leading Universities of the Asia-Pacific region (the first member university from the Central Asian countries).

In recent years, several major international seminars and conferences have been held at KSU named after I. Arabaev, including:
• International online conference "The Picture of the World of Central Asia: History and Present", January 15, 2021, within the framework of the AKHP project, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan; FISPO
• Seminar training on the EPCA project, development of innovative online training courses and electronic programs for students of KSU named after I. Arabaev and Osh State University, January 26-27 - KSU named after I. Arabaev, Osh State University, and the universities of Sweden, Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, and Uzbekistan
• International scientific and practical conference dedicated to the work of the people's writer of Kyrgyzstan Kazat Akmatov "Egemen Kyrgyzstandyn democrat zharchysy", March 12 - IGYAK
• International scientific online conference "Modernization of Education - from Vision to Reality", March 13, Business European Community of Teachers of Higher Schools Modern Education & Research Institute, Kokshetau University of Kazakhstan, West Kazakhstan Innovation and Technology University

• Festival "Cultural Code of Eurasia", received 1st place, March 24, Foundation "Eurasians - New Wave", RF
• Round table devoted to the 30th anniversary of the Independence of Turkmenistan and in honor of the announcement of 2021 as the International Year of Peace and Trust, April 9 - Embassy of Turkmenistan
• Online lectures: by Prof. Piotr Zalecki on the topic: “Matriculation Exam in Social Studies: Polish Experience” and by Prof. Rafis Abazov, Head of the MDP Program, New York City, on the topic "Global Citizenship Education: The Case of Kazakhstan", April 13 - University of Warsaw, Poland, and Columbia University Earth Institute, USA
• International scientific and practical conference "Economics, Management, Science, and Education: Problems, Hypotheses, Research", April 27 - IEM
• Online - Author's Lesson by the Austrian writer and playwriter Thomas Arts, May 6 - Embassy of Austria, Nur-Sultan - IML
• International scientific conference "Experience of Modernization in the PRC" dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China, June 11 - Embassy of the PRC in the Kyrgyz Republic
• 12th International scientific online conference "Golden Age of Islam", June 16
• Cultural Representation of the Iranian Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic, Al-Mustafa University - FISPO
• III Traditional international scientific and practical conference "Together for Inclusion!", June 16, Soros Foundation-Kyrgyzstan, members of the Public Council of the base organization of the CIS member countries, and many others.