On 18 January the OSCE Academy in Bishkek welcomed its first students in the new Master of Arts in Economic Governance and Development Programme.
The programme is a 15-month graduate course that offers an interdisciplinary curriculum in economics, governance and development, focusing on the Central Asian context. The programme is designed for recent graduates and young professionals seeking a career related to regional and global economic governance and development.
The curriculum has been approved by Kyrgyzstan’s Education Ministry. The programme is supported, including financially, by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek and a number of the OSCE participating and partner States. International partner institutions and the Advisory Council of the OSCE Academy provide assistance in advising on the curriculum, teaching and supervision.
Anders Troedsson, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, said: “The Master of Arts in Economic Governance and Development is the Academy’s second Masters course. The launch of this new Programme reflects the high demand for the Academy as a regional educational institution and also the desire to develop and extend its potential, repeatedly expressed by Kyrgyzstan’s authorities, the Academy’s Board of Trustees and the OSCE participating States“.
Maxim Ryabkov, the Director of the OSCE Academy, welcomed the students and outlined the unique nature of the new programme: “This programme is regional and value-oriented. It is designed to hone the students’ skills in conceptual and technical analysis of the problems of economic governance both in their countries and globally. A combination of theory and practical modules will give them an opportunity to learn from and network with leading experts. The two-month internship that is part of the course will provide useful exposure to Central Asian and international professional networks”.
Ulan Djusupov, the Director of the Department of International Organizations and Security of Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Ministry, said: “The main task of the students is to benefit from the time spent at the Academy. I encourage the students to make the best of the expertise offered by the multi-national teaching staff of the Academy.” He also encouraged the students “to study and to be able to apply in practice the acquired skills when the time comes.” He also stressed the importance of the Academy for Kyrgyzstan and its contribution to the wider efforts of the country to the development of neighbouring Afghanistan.
The Master of Arts in Economic Governance and Development is funded by Austria, the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs and the United States. It builds on the successful model of the Master of Arts in Politics and Security that has graduated 174 students since 2004. The OSCE Academy in Bishkek was established in 2002 to promote and enhance the OSCE’s principles and values in Central Asia by providing a forum for professionals and students to study international relations, comprehensive security, democratization, the rule of law and human rights.