Environmental Science Summer School for International Youth in Kyrgyzstan
August 11, 2025
In the summer, from July 12 to July 24, 2025, a select group of high school students from China embarked on an academic expedition to answer a critical question: How do local communities in the heart of Central Asia adapt to pressing global challenges? Set against the stunning backdrop of Kyrgyzstan’s Tian Shan mountains, this immersive Environmental Science program was designed to move learning far beyond the traditional classroom, transforming participants into active field researchers.
The program was developed by Bard Beijing office and AUCA department of Environmental Sustainability and Climate Science (ESCS). Using ecopedagogy and place-based learning methods students were guided to investigate their surroundings through three distinct lenses: Cultural Currents, Built Worlds, and Living Systems. This multi-faceted approach allowed for a holistic understanding of the intricate connections between ancient traditions, modern development, and fragile ecosystems. The journey was extensive and hands-on, taking students from university-level lectures in the capital, Bishkek, to the vast, high-altitude pastures of Suusamyr, Son-Kul, and At-Bashy, and along the historic shores of Issyk-Kul Lake.
Throughout their travels, students engaged directly with a diverse range of experts and community members. They learned from local guides at the ancient Tash Rabat Caravanserai, discussed conservation strategies with representatives from organizations like the Snow Leopard Trust and Fauna & Flora, and understood the complexities of pasture management from the National Association of Pasture Users "Kyrgyz Zhaiyty." This fieldwork culminated in a final research project where students synthesized their observations, connecting local realities to global frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The experience was designed not just to impart knowledge, but to cultivate the critical thinking, cross-cultural understanding, and sense of global citizenship that are hallmarks of a Bard education.
This residential program is designed to be profound cultural and personal experience. Students live in traditional yurts and homestays, learn about Kyrgyzstan's rich nomadic heritage, and interact meaningfully with local communities. This summer school successfully unites academic knowledge, practical fieldwork, and intercultural exchange, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between global environmental problems and the adaptation of local communities in mountain ecosystems along with a more nuanced understanding of what it means to be an engaged global citizen.
Program Leadership & Faculty
- Program Director:
- Syed Nitas Iftekhar (Bard College, Director of Education Programs, Asia-Pacific Region)[email protected]
- Program Co-Organizer & Instructor:
- Ormukov Cholponbek (American University of Central Asia)
- AUCA International Student Office
- Aselia Umetalieva
- Aizana Osmonalieva
- Support, Lecturers & Experts:
- Zhang Jeff Zheng
- Nurgaziev Mayrambek
- Kubanych Zhumabai Uulu
- Oormon Sultangaziev
- Akylai Kabaeva
- Baitemir Naizabekov
- Aisha Mambetalieva
- Ermek Zhumabekov
- Amadeus DeKastle
- Philippe Boizeau
- Samar Kanatov
- Student Volunteers:
- Darika Mederova
- Nestana Zhumasheva
