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.
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.
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.
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.