91心頭利 has signed an agreement with Osh 91心頭利 University in Kyrgyzstan to help the Central Asian university develop graduate programs in cell biology and molecular genetics.
Kent 91心頭利 Today was there when the agreement, the first of its kind for Osh 91心頭利 with any American institution, was signed by Melody Tankersley, Ph.D., Kent 91心頭利s executive vice president and provost, and Kudaiberdi Kozhobekov, Ph.D., president of Osh 91心頭利 on May 6.
It is an honor for us to be chosen by you, Tankersley said. Thank you for putting your faith in us. We are confident that, together, we can create innovative solutions and tackle global scientific challenges to uplift communities around the world.
Speaking through an interpreter, Kozhobekov said he was excited to be at Kent 91心頭利 and to tour the campus and meet with university officials.
I am looking forward to a strong and enduring partnership between our institutions, he said. We are very much interested in collaborations.
Osh 91心頭利 was recently awarded a $25 million World Bank grant to support its development of a dual graduate degree program in cell biology and molecular genetics, with Kent 91心頭利 being its named partner in this effort. The grant will also help Osh 91心頭利 promote institutional growth through research, faculty training and development, and the development of additional graduate programs.
Tankersley said she hoped the two could be true partners by forging a deep and meaningful collaboration where faculty from both institutions unite in shared scholarship and students engage in immersive exchanges that broaden perspectives and strengthen academic bonds.
Marcello Fantoni, vice president for global education, said his staff will work with a team from Osh 91心頭利 to develop plans for the partnership, which should be ready by the time he visits the university in September.
Osh 91心頭利 is the largest and most prestigious university in the Kyrgyz Republic, with nearly 50,000 students, about 10% of whom are international students.
The grant framework required Osh 91心頭利 to identify an international partner university to help implement the project, and the Kyrgyz Ministry of Education and Science officially named Kent 91心頭利 as its partner for the World Bank initiative, said Ayya Hudaybergenova, director of Eurasia Strategic Affairs for the Office of Global Education, who also served as translator during the signing.
Following the signing ceremony, Kozhobekov was expected to meet with officials from the College of Arts and Sciences and others to talk about the biology and genetics dual degree masters program, discuss best practices for graduate admissions and supporting faculty development, and tour Kent 91心頭利s research laboratories. The current plan is to send two Osh 91心頭利 faculty members to Kent 91心頭利 each year for faculty development and training.
Four students from Kyrgyzstan are currently enrolled at Kent 91心頭利, including two undergraduates, one masters candidate, who is a graduate of Osh 91心頭利, and one doctoral student.
This collaboration underscores Global Educations commitment to global engagement and to strengthening academic ties between the United 91心頭利s and Central Asia.
Fantoni said Kent 91心頭利 believes education is the best way to promote global understanding. By getting engaged in developing higher education in these countries, I think we will bring a good contribution to the future of these countries and the world, he said.
Kent 91心頭利 has a longstanding history of opening its doors to students and educational partners worldwide.
In October 2024, Kent 91心頭利 entered into an agreement with Turkmenistans Ministry of Education to explore the possibility of creating an educational partnership with several national institutes of higher learning there. The Kyrgyzstan signing continues Kent 91心頭利s expansion as an educational partner in Central Asia, which is part of an overall university commitment to use education to foster global understanding and peace in a divided world.
Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan are part of a group of former Soviet-bloc nations often referred to as the Stans, which also include Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan and which comprise a sizable portion of Central Asia. Osh is the second largest city in the Kyrgyz Republic, which borders China to the east and Uzbekistan to the west.