Kimep University Students Auca Students

10 th CLASS OF STUDENT FELLOWS 13 KIMEP UNIVERSITY STUDENTS 15 AUCA STUDENTS THE FOUNDATION IS GRATEFUL FOR THE SUPPORT OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, ITS CITIZENS, AND THE CENTRAL ASIAN-AMERICAN ENTERPRISE FUND. CONTENTS 02 05 08 Foundation Overview Celebrating the AUCA • HISTORY Accomplishments Graduates • MISSION of Student Fellows • PROGRAMS • PARTNER UNIVERSITIES • PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR 2 6 42 4 3 KIMEP The Foundation’s Alumni University Intern Fellowships Association Graduates • REGIONAL SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM • INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM Dear U.S.-CAEF Class of 2020, You have been innovative, strong, resilient, courageous, and caring pathfinders your entire life. Those qualities led you to U.S.-CAEF. Those qualities will allow you to navigate the unforeseen circumstances reshaping the lives and expectations of every person on earth. No one is untouched by COVID-19, but I know of no other graduates of the Class of 2020 who are better prepared to face the challenges ahead. Graduations are special, but there is nothing more magical than a U.S.-CAEF graduation. For the Board, it is a profound experience to celebrate with our graduating seniors. We follow each U.S.-CAEF Fellow from the moment the Board confirms your selection to the program, through each semester, each internship, each contest, each President’s or Dean’s list, each semester abroad, each event arranged by alumni, each new community service project. For the last four years you have lived, studied, worked and played together. As you have embraced the opportunities of university life at AUCA and KIMEP, we have watched your personal transformation and growth. Graduation brings the entire U.S.-CAEF Family together —you, our graduating seniors, your families, our undergraduates, alumni, American Councils, your professors, and representatives of the U.S. Government. We know what a hardship it is not to be able to celebrate your graduation in person this year. But you will always be part of the U.S.-CAEF Family. You stand on the shoulders of giants - the Fellows who came before you and so generously continue to support each other and all other U.S.-CAEF alumni and Fellows. You have the Board and American Councils behind you. We are living at a time of profound uncertainty on the cusp of many changes. But it is these circumstances that present the greatest opportunities. You will seize these opportunities because that is who you are–innovative, strong, resilient and courageous pathfinders. You also will make it a better world because that is who you are. You have great heart and have always thought of the others around you. And you will always be part of the U.S.-CAEF Family. The future is in your capable hands. It is a privilege to have come to know you through our U.S.-CAEF Family. We congratulate you on your graduation. U.S.-CAEF Board of Directors STEPHEN D. WEINROTH, PRESIDENT, U.S.-CAEF BOARD “I see U.S.-CAEF as a transformative program, which converted me from a girl with uncertain plans, a lack of confidence, and no specific goal for life into a young, independent and confident person… Now I would like to express my gratitude to this amazing program and to all the people who supported us throughout our student life.” -Nazirakhon Kholturaeva VI U.S.-CAEF GRADUATION 2018 GRADUATION BOOK 2020 th 10 The 2020 U.S.-CAEF graduates represent the 10th class of Student Fellows to receive a CLASS OF university education through the U.S.-Central Asia Education Foundation (the Foundation) STUDENT Enterprise Fellowship Program. A total of 28 Fellows, 15 from American University of FELLOWS Central Asia (AUCA) and 13 from KIMEP University, will celebrate their graduation on May 16 in Almaty, Kazakhstan and May 30 in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz Republic, respectively. U.S.-CAEF Student Fellows are academically gifted citizen residents of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, or Uzbekistan who, without financial aid, would not otherwise be able to pursue a university education at one of the Foundation’s partner universities. They have been awarded full undergraduate scholarships for study in the fields of business and economics. Student Fellows must meet the rigorous admission standards of their university and are selected by the Foundation’s board at the end of a selection process developed by both the Board and American Councils for International Education (American Councils), which administers the Foundation’s fellowship programs. Each student selected for the program commits to meeting the ongoing requirements of the scholarship, which include maintaining a 3.0 grade- point average for AUCA Student Fellows and a 3.25 grade-point average for KIMEP University Student Fellows and participating in the educational, vocational and social events of the Student Fellowship Program. Graduation 2020 is the result of years of hard work by each Fellow and represents a major milestone in the lives of the graduating students and their families. We recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of these future Central Asian leaders and members of the U.S.-CAEF family. uscaef.org 1 FOUNDATION OVERVIEW HISTORY MISSION NOTES The Foundation, a congressionally approved “legacy foundation” to the The Foundation’s mission is During its active operating former U.S. Government-sponsored Central Asian-American Enterprise to encourage and assist the years, CAAEF entered into Fund (Fund or CAAEF), is funded by a $15.7 million grant from CAAEF and development and growth of a 27 joint ventures with equity (or equity plus debt) financing commenced operation in May 2007. CAAEF was one of the “U.S. Enterprise vibrant open-market private totaling $61.5 million, granted Funds” authorized and funded by the U.S. Government after the dissolution business sector in Central Asia 352 loans to establish or expand of the former Soviet Union. It was incorporated in 1994 as a not-for-profit by: supporting the quality of and small and medium-size enterp- corporation to encourage the creation and expansion of small- and medium- affordable access to Western rises (“SMEs”), and funded more sized enterprises in the Central Asian Republics of the former Soviet Union business expertise and practices than 3,000 micro-credit loans (Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) at selected institutions of higher totaling $10.4 million. and operated in Central Asia for ten years until 2004. Like all Enterprise education in the region that have The Fund’s direct investments, Funds, CAAEF was managed by a private board of directors and was required adopted Western curricula and SME and micro-loan programs to liquidate its investments by a specified “sunset” date and either return teaching methods; providing & technical assistance activities the proceeds to the U.S. Treasury or develop a “legacy proposal” for an opportunities for educational, were directly responsible for: alternative use of these proceeds, consistent with the Fund’s mission. vocational, and cultural * creating a diverse array of private experience in countries that business enterprises that continue During its operation, CAAEF had provided extensive training and education serve as positive examples of an to operate successfully and provide to the young Central Asian men and women who comprised its staff and several thousand private sector open market economy operating employment opportunities; worked in its lending and investing programs. The staff informed the CAAEF within a democratic environment; Board that this business education had proven invaluable. In conducting and promoting other activities * developing the western business research for its legacy proposal, the CAAEF Board found that there was strong practice skills of its local staff, joint that will generate a favorable venture partners and managers, demand among private sector businesses in Central Asia for employees environment in Central Asia for small business loan customers, with a Western business education. Few opportunities existed, however, and employees of the local partner private business to succeed and for academically qualified yet financially disadvantaged students to obtain banks that participated in the entrepreneurial spirit to thrive. Fund’s SME loan program; and, an undergraduate business degree in Central Asia. The CAAEF Board determined that the cornerstone of its legacy proposal would be a financial *achieving a positive demonstration effect, by providing the close need- and merit-based undergraduate scholarship at universities committed support and experience that now to the adoption of a Western-style curriculum. Recipients would pursue finds several of the Fund’s SME loan program Partner Banks offering business-related fields and would be citizens of one of the five countries in small business term-loans directly which CAAEF operated. to their customers, and other banks adopting similar lending activities that mirror the policies In addition, the Board would include two complementary programs: a and procedures of CAAEF’s highly faculty development program and an internship program. After more than successful small business loan program. three years of efforts by its Board, the Fund received the necessary U.S. governmental approvals in May 2007, created the Foundation and launched the Enterprise Student Fellowship Program. PARTNER UNIVERSITIES Our partner universities, AUCA and KIMEP University, were selected based on various criteria including their use of English, the international language of business, as the primary language

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