Central Asian Studies guides students through the politics, geography, and history of a dynamic region while providing immersive Russian language study.

The five Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan offer the ability to study nomadic and settled societies, as well as colonization, communism, and early independence. Each country is a rich tapestry of ethnicities, religions, and linguistic groups. With its diverse set of local conditions and ever-shifting regional and global relations, Central Asia serves as a prime case study for issues that countries all over the world are grappling with today.

Based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, this program includes guided study trips to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, allowing us to compare and contrast these diverse countries’ cultural, historical, political, and economic systems.

There is no Russian language prerequisite for this program.

Interested in summer? Click here. For policies and procedures (inc. for late applications), click here.

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Core Program Courses

RUSS 193/293/393/493 Russian as a Second Language
Russian is a lingua franca for politics and business in Central Asia and thus forms the foundation for Central Asian Studies. Small, intensive classes focus on reading, writing, grammar, speaking, comprehension, and phonetics.12 credits

History of Modern Central Asian States
This is a contemporary history course that critically surveys modern Central Asian political development, beginning with a brief excursus into the XIX century history of the region’s colonization by the Russian Empire, going on to the Soviet period, and focusing mostly on the post-Soviet independence from 1991 to the present. The course approaches the subject from the perspective of state-building, critically reflecting upon the concept of state-building and a set of other related concepts, such as modernization, colonialism and post-colonialism, development, the modern state, and democratization. 3 credits

The New Great Game
The course kicks off with a quick recap of what the popular “Great Game” is about in terms of understanding Central Asia, and then moves to question it, expand beyond it and complicate the subject of Central Asian international affairs and geopolitics. Conceptual issues such as sovereignty, great powers and small states, theoretical debates over international agency, dependency and regional cooperation, practical themes of connectivity, energy politics and security – these and other substantive focal topics comprise the scope of the course. 3 credits

Click here for core program course syllabi

Other Language Electives

You may choose to replace either History of Modern Central Asian States or The New Great Game with one of the language electives below. Note the prerequisites.

Phonetics for Beginners. Prereq - none
Phonetics through Soviet Cartoons. Prereq of at least 2 semesters of Russian
Russian through Fairy Tales and Cartoons. Prereq of at least 4 semesters of Russian
The Golden Age of Russian Literature. Prereq of at least 4 semesters of Russian
Kyrgyz Culture & Traditions. Prereq of at least 5 semesters of Russian
Russian through Central Asian News. Prereq of at least 6 semesters of Russian
Literature and Film of Central Asia. Prereq of at least 6 semesters of Russian
Politics and Economy of Central Asia. Prereq of at least 6 semesters of Russian
Advanced Phonetics and Phraseology. Prereq of at least 6 semesters of Russian
Regional History - Kyrgyzstan. Prereq of at least 7 semesters of Russian
Kyrgyz Language. No prereq, but not advised to take both Kyrgyz and Russian at beginning level.
Other languages (Kazakh, Uzbek, Arabic, Tajik). Per availability of instructor, all levels, not advised to take in parallel with beginning Russian.

Click here for language electives course syllabi.

Travel and Cultural Program

Two weeks of travel to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are included and designed to compliment your course work, showing you the major sites, but also the culture and how locals live.

A fully integrated local cultural program is also included. You will be given extensive background information on each event and will discuss the excursions afterwards in class and with your peer tutors. Gain more real-world experience from which to hear and absorb vocabulary, grammatical structures, and cultural information. Excursions may include:

Bishkek walking tour
National History Museum
Weekend trip to Issyk-Kul region for yurt building, meeting the eagle hunters, hiking to Barskoon Waterfall, and enjoying Lake Issyk-Kul.
Ata-Beiit Memorial to the Stalinist purges
Burana Tower (ruins of the medieval Karakhanid city of Balasagun)
Master classes (traditional crafts, cooking, music)
Ala-Archa National Park
Museum of Fine Arts

Partner School

The London School of Languages and Cultures is a well-established private language school founded in 1998. The school has worked with the UNDP, the US Embassy, and various USAID projects. On campus, foreigners studying Russian and Central Asian languages mix with locals learning English. Centrally located, the school is surrounded by cafes, museums, shopping, theatres, churches, mosques, and more.

The London School prides itself on its regional and local connections and ability to immerse students in the surrounding culture and community. They offer an extensive multi-language audio-visual library, 30+ modern classrooms, and an international staff from across Central Asia.

Transcripts and Credit Transfer

This program is hosted by The London School of Languages and Cultures (LSLC) in Bishkek in cooperation with SRAS. LSLC was founded in 1998 and has a strong, internationally-recognized reputation. The School of Record for this program is University of Montana (Montana, USA).

Credit transfer to your home institution is usually possible. Additionally, a US School of Record means that your program is supported by and documented by an accredited US university. The School of Record will issue an American transcript, making credit transfer relatively routine.

Click here for detailed information about what will appear on your transcript, as well as syllabi.

Research and Volunteering

SRAS supports focused research and projects, such as for a capstone project or graduate studies. Support may be in the form of advising sessions, assistance navigating archives or other resources. In many cases this is at no additional cost, but eligibility requires submission of a research or project proposal, and expectations are that output or a modified version/extract of it will be in a form available for publishing in the SRAS Family of Sites. Minimum stay of 8 weeks required.

Informal volunteer opportunities are also possible if you want to be more involved with your local community abroad. We can connect you with opportunities to pursue independently at no cost.

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Dormitories: The dorm is next to the building where you will have classes.

Home stays are anywhere from 15-50 minutes commute from class, but this commute itself can provide an opportunity for learning. More than in other SRAS locations, host families in Bishkek are larger, with more children and, at times, extended family living under one roof, meaning you have more extensive opportunities for language practice and cultural interaction.

The home stay supplemental cost in Bishkek, inclusive of breakfast and supper, is $1,600.

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Central Asia is landlocked and sparsely populated. Yet, the area has been strategic for the powerful states that surround it for trade routes (such as the old and new Silk Roads) or as military buffer zones, attack routes, or supply lines (from the Mongols to the modern Middle East and Afghan conflicts). Despite diverse influences, parts of Central Asia were some of the last places on Earth to develop settled societies and even today, modern nomads and traditional lifestyles are not uncommon. Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with its proud traditional culture, long history, and convenient travel routes to other Central Asian states, provides an excellent vantage for the study of this fascinating region.

Bishkek is Kyrgyzstan’s constantly evolving capital, where Soviet heritage mixes with ancient and modern Central Asian culture against the backdrop of the Tian Shan Mountains. From its history under the Russian Empire and USSR, Russian remains the primary language of higher education, business, and daily life and it continues to serve as the region’s lingua franca. Yet Kyrgyz culture runs deep here, with traditions stretching back millennia, from nomadic horsemanship and lifestyles to rich epic poetry and folk music. The city’s lively bazaars, cafés, and theaters combine with leafy parks and wide boulevards to make it welcoming, easy to navigate, and remarkably affordable. Beyond the city, dramatic mountain landscapes, lakes, and villages offer endless opportunities for exploration. Bishkek is not only a center for Russian study but also an excellent destination for outdoor enthusiasts, students interested in nomadic cultures, and those interested in the wider region of Central Asia.

Find out more about:

Kyrgyzstan:

Uzbekistan:

Central Asia:

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Budget Breakdown

Budget Breakdown (semester)
Budget Breakdown (academic year)
SRAS Guide to Living in Bishkek (w/ weekly living expenses, etc.)

Scholarships and Grants

Federal aid can help pay for your program if your university pre-approves credit transfer and agrees to manage payment. Check with SRAS and your university for details.
All Scholarships and Grants that we know of that can be applied to our programs are listed on our site. Contact SRAS for assistance in building your strogest application!
SRAS Program Grants are stackable!
SRAS Ambassadors can write while abroad or educate students at home after their return - and earn stipends!
SRAS Online Research Internships award partial scholarships for study abroad.
Boren Awards: This program is compatible with Boren requirements. Contact us about how to build your strongest application for Boren funding!

[/su_spoiler][su_spoiler title="Getting Started"]

Complete our application (click the "Apply now" button at the bottom right of your screen to create your SRAS account - you will be able to return to the application later).
Alert your home university (if you are currently a student).
Some universities have deadlines for study abroad that are much earlier than SRAS deadlines -- so involve your home university's study abroad office in the process as early as possible! They can help ensure that all goes smoothly with credit transfer and financial aid, and perhaps point you to additional funding sources.
See our Getting Started pages for more important information about academics, health and safety, and more.

If you are still unsure this is the right program for you, please join an SRAS INFO session or schedule an SRAS advising session to discuss how we can help fulfill your goals and needs![/su_spoiler]

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