Skip to main content.
Bard
  • Bard
  • Academics sub-menuAcademics
    Bard College Commencement
    • Academics
      • Programs and Divisions
      • Structure of the Curriculum
      • Courses
      • Requirements
      • Discover Bard
      • Bard Abroad
      • Academic Calendar
      • Faculty
      • Libraries
      • College Catalogue
      • Dual-Degree Programs
      • Bard Conservatory of Music
      • Other Study Opportunities
      • Graduate Programs
      • Early Colleges
  • Admission sub-menuAdmission
    • Applying
      • Apply Now
      • Financial Aid
      • Tuition + Payment
    • Discover Bard
      • Campus Tours
      • Meet Our Students + Alumni/ae
      • For Families / Familias
    • Stay in Touch
      • Join Our Mailing List
      • Contact Us
  • Campus Life sub-menuCampus Life
    Bard Campus Life

    Make a home in Annandale.

    • Living on Campus
      • Housing + Dining
      • Campus Resources
      • Get Involved on Campus
      • Current Students
      • New Students
      • Visiting + Transportation
      • Athletics + Recreation
      • New Students
  • Civic Engagement sub-menuCivic Engagement
    • Bard CCE The Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) at Bard College embodies the fundamental belief that education and civil society are inextricably linked.

      Take action.
      Make an impact.

      Get Involved
      • Campus + Community
      • In the Classroom
      • U.S. Network
      • International Network
      • About CCE
      • Resources
      • Support
  • Newsroom sub-menuNews + Events
    Upstreaming
    • News + Events
      • Newsroom
      • Events Calendar
      • Video Gallery
      • Press Releases
      • Office of Communications
      • COVID-19 Updates
    • Special Events
      • Commencement Weekend
      • Alumni/ae Reunion
      • Family + Alumni/ae Weekend
      • Fisher Center
      • Bard SummerScape
      • Bard Athletics
  • About Bard sub-menuAbout Bard

    A private college for the public good.

    Support Bard

    Legacy Challenge
    • About Bard College
      • Mission Statement
      • Bard History
      • Love of Learning
      • Visiting Bard
      • Employment
      • OSUN
      • Bard Abroad
      • The Bard Network
      • Montgomery Place Campus
      • Campus Tours
      • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
      • Sustainability
      • Title IX and Nondiscrimination
      • HEOA Disclosures
      • Institutional Support
      • Safety and Security
      • Inside Bard
      • Alumni/ae Network
      • Family Network
      • Support Bard
      • Legacy Challenge
  • Give
  • Search
Bard Abroad
Main Image for Academics

Academics

Bishkek Menu
  • Bishkek Home
  • Academics
  • Summer
  • Student Life
  • Health + Safety
  • Alumni/ae Opportunities
  • Apply
  • Bard Abroad Home
Academics Overview
The Bard-AUCA study abroad program offers intellectually adventurous students a unique opportunity to study side by side, in English, with peers from 25 different countries at the region's most prestigious university.
Visit AUCA Academics

Russian Language Track

Russian Language Track

Bard Abroad is excited to announce the Russian Language Track through the AUCA-Bard Study Abroad Program in Kyrgyzstan. This track is open to students with at least two years of college-level Russian. 

Although more than 30 years have passed since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Bishkek remains largely a Russian-speaking city, with Russian used as the common language between the many groups of people that call Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia home. Students will have the opportunity to use Russian in and out of the classroom, in home-stays, with student peers, and in daily life. With a rich history and culture of its own, a shared-Soviet experience and common customs and cultural traditions which transcend borders, Kyrgyzstan is a fascinating place to study Russian outside of the European context and experience post-Soviet society.

Apply here!

Russian Language Track

Program Highlights
  • One-week Russian Intensive - the program begins with a one-week intensive Russian course to introduce students to daily life in Bishkek, acquainting them with the city and local customs.
  • Russian Language Courses - students will take between 9 and 11 credits of Russian language each semester. Courses are designed to build proficiency and help students work towards mastery of Russian, taking advantage of Bishkek's Russian-language environment. Students also have weekly meetings with an AUCA student Russian language tutor.
  • Russian-speaking Home-Stays - students will have the option of staying with Russian-speaking families or living in a dormitory with AUCA peers, providing the opportunity to speak Russian daily outside of class and interact with the language and culture in a real-world context.
  • Enrollment in 2-3 academic courses from among the variety of courses taught at AUCA, which include many courses in Russian, Central Asian and Post-Soviet area studies. Most academic courses are taught in English, but students are welcome to enroll in courses taught in Russian, which include studio art, theater and physical education offerings. 
    • Recent courses taught at AUCA include:
      • Hybridity and Identity in Central Asia 
      • Novels of the Russian Golden Age
      • Literature and Art from the Soviet Union
      • Moral Imagination through Literature
      • Literature in Imperial and Soviet Central Asia
      • Empire, Identity, Modernity: Ethnic Classifications in Imperial and Soviet Central Asia
      • Central Asian Politics
      • Political Regimes/Democracy in post-communist countries and East Asia
      • Foreign Policy of Post-Soviet States
      • Internal History of the USSR 
      • Political History of the USSR 
      • Politics and Development in Post-Soviet Central Asia 
      • Russia and Central Asia
      • Russian Foreign Policy 
      • Russian Politics 
      • Government & Politics of USSR & CIS
      • Identity Politics in the Post-Soviet Space
      • Politics of Russia and CIS
      • Language Policies in Central Asian Republics: Soviet and post-Soviet Periods 
  • A cultural program, which will explore the culture, history, customs, cuisine and natural beauty of Kyrgyzstan and its diverse population. The cultural program includes bi-weekly organized events with outings to the specific theaters. 
  • Participation in student clubs, extracurricular activities and civic engagement projects with Russian-speaking peers from across Central Asia.
  • Volunteering and internship opportunities at various organizations in Bishkek

Academics at AUCA

A semester or year at AUCA offers unparalleled opportunities: the chance to study alongside students from all over the world in academically rigorous classes; explore this historically and culturally fascinating region through excursions, homestays, and independent travel; and choose from among eight languages to study, including Kyrgyz and Russian, the two languages spoken in Bishkek.

Apply here!

Areas of Study

Areas of Study

  • General Education
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Anthropology
  • Applied Mathematics and Informatics
  • Economics
  • European Studies
  • International and Comparative Politics
  • Mass Communications
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Environmental Sustainability and Climate Science

Language Studies

Language study is encouraged but not required. Russian, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, and Tajik, all identified as strategically important languages by the U.S. State Department, are the most commonly spoken languages in Central Asia. While Kyrgyz and Russian are the official languages of Kyrgyzstan, the country is host to substantial Uzbek and Tajik populations. Students of Russian will find the language widely spoken both at the university and throughout the city, providing ample opportunity for linguistic immersion. AUCA also offers courses in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, and Turkish.

AUCA Internship Opportunities

With over 100 NGOs operating in Bishkek, there are many opportunities for students to volunteer or intern with an organization working in an area related to their field of study or other interests. Many students choose to take advantage of these opportunities to gain practical skills, engage with civic life, and develop insight into Kyrgyzstan’s social, economic, political, and cultural institutions. Some of our internship host include:  

  • Tian Shan Policy Center (TSPC)
  • TSPC Community Indicators Project
  • TSPC Migration Project
  • TSPC Human Rights Project
  • TSPC Environmental Program
  • Child’s Rights Defenders League
  • DAI (Kyrgyz Parliament Strengthening Program USAID)
  • Soros Foundation
  • East West Management Institute (USAID project)
  • International Republican Institute
  • Westminster Foundation for Democracy
  • Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (German Society for International Cooperation)
  • Mountain Society Research Institute
  • SOS Children’s Village
  • East-West Management Institute
  • UN Women
  • Youth Human Rights Group
  • Institute of Youth Development

Cultural Program

Cultural Program

Bard Abroad in Bishkek includes a cultural program designed to complement participants’ coursework. Excursions both inside and outside the city expose students to a wide variety of Central Asian experiences. Listed below are sample events from previous semesters.  

Cultural Program


Ala Archa National Park
The Ala Archa National Park covers about 200 square kilometers, and includes the highest peak of the Kyrgyz Ala-tau range of the Tian Shan mountains. Students spend a day hiking trails in the park on a guided excursion. (Day hike)
 
Lake Issyk-Kul and Tamga Village
Students can swim in Lake Issyk-Kul, located in the Rian Shan mountains in Eastern Kyrgyzstan. Issyk-Kul is the 10th-argest lake, the second-largest saline lake, and the second-largest mountain lake in the world—truly a sight to behold! (Weekend trip)
 
Horseback Riding
The Ala-taus also include great horseback riding trails. Students participate in a guided daylong horseback riding trek. (Day trip)
 
Burana Tower
The Burana Tower, located in the Chuy Valley in northern Kyrgyzstan, is one of the few structures remaining from the ancient city of Balasagun. Students explore the surrounding area at ground level and then from the top of the tower. (Day trip)
 
Camping in Karakol-Altyn Arashan Valley
Students can take a weekend trip to Karakol, the fourth-largest city in Kyrgyzstan, and the surrounding Altyn Arashan Valley. The guided camping excursion gives students an opportunity to take in the valley’s picturesque environment and natural hot springs. (Weekend trip)
 
Karakol Skiing
In addition to hiking up the mountains, students also get to ski down them! (Weekend trip)

Connect with Bard Abroad

  • Submit an Inquiry Form
  • Bard Abroad on Facebook
  • Bard Abroad on Instagram
Bard College
30 Campus Road
PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504-5000
Phone: 845-758-6822
Admission E-mail: [email protected]
©2023 Bard College
Follow Us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Follow Us on Instagram
You Tube
Information For:
Prospective Students
Current Employees
Alumni/ae 
Families
Quick Links
Employment
Travel to Bard
Site Search
Support Bard
COVID-19 Info