Since its establishment in 1995, CEP
Central Asia and Mongolia has expanded dramatically. The program began with three Visiting
Lecturers (now called Visiting Faculty Fellows -
VFFs) and Eastern Scholars (now called Local Faculty
Fellows - LFFs), all based in Kazakhstan. In the academic year 2003-04, the program
has 21 Local, 10 SCOUT , and 15 Visiting Faculty
Fellows in five countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan).
Broader geographic participation has enriched the program and increased its impact. As one
of the few international organizations represented in cities like Dushanbe, Osh, and
Samarkand, CEP provides students and local faculty rare and valuable exposure to new
teaching methods, ideas, and experiences.
The most fruitful collaboration occurs when motivation on the part of
the CEP Fellows meets with enthusiasm on the part of partner institutions. This happens
most consistently at the American University – Central Asia (formerly the American
University in Kyrgyzstan), Tashkent University, and the National University of Mongolia.
However, success and impact are not limited to these institutions. CEP’s bearing is
felt across all five countries through Fellows, faculty and student conferences, seminars,
and other outreach activities.
In order to address the unique needs of the Central Asia and Mongolia
program, CEP’s strategy for the region initiated a cyclical teaching and learning
initiative. Unlike the two-year Local Faculty Fellowship program in other CEP regions and
countries, a three-year Local Faculty Fellowship program was instituted in Central Asia
and Mongolia in 2002. It is designed to provide intensive training that focuses on
teaching methodology in the first year, conducting research and teaching research methods
in the second, and organizing international academic conferences in the third year.
In the 2002-03 academic year, Faculty Development Fellow Chad Thompson
and Resource Fellow Mary Schweitzer led intensive workshops on interactive and
student-centered teaching methods. In the 2003-04 academic year, Faculty Development
Fellow Donnacha O’Beachain is facilitating a chat room on teaching in the social
sciences, and Resource Fellow Roxane de la Sablonniere is scheduled to present workshops
on research methods to all the Local Faculty Fellows in Central Asia and Mongolia.
Students in Central Asia reap the benefits of their CEP education as they pursue their
studies in the West. They have gone on to both undergraduate and graduate study at
prestigious universities including: the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts
University, USA; Bryn Mawr College, USA; Indiana University, USA; and Central European University in Budapest,
Hungary. Within the CEP network, students from Central Asia and Mongolia have continued to
participate and perform well, and have earned prizes and awards at a number of regional
and international academic events.
