Study trip from the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek at the Institut für Europäische Politik 2011.
On 18 October 2011, a group of 20 students from the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) visited the Institut für Europäische Politik to learn more about the European Union’s policies towards its neighbors and Central Asia and the work of the institute.
The students are currently enrolled in a European Studies Master program at the American University of Central Asia. They used the week-long study trip to Germany for a visit at the IEP and were accompanied by the Chair of the European Studies Department, Jdanova Liubov.
The discussion at the IEP primarily focused on the current EU policies towards Central Asia, especially addressing the democratization processes of authoritarian regimes currently taking place in the region. The students view supporting these processes as their most crucial task for future development. In addition they stressed the need to include civil society in these processes. The student’s evaluation of the EU policies towards Central Asia differs, while they unanimous emphasized the importance of the EU and Germany for Central Asia’s future development.
The study trip is one of the many examples of the engagement that the IEP has towards Central Asia, as the IEP also conducts the EUCAIS Online Master course for students from Central Asian.
By: Dr. Katrin Böttger; Eike Hortsch