OSCE Centre in Bishkek

The OSCE Academy in Bishkek is designed to promote and enhance the principles and values of the OSCE in Central Asia. Located in Bishkek, the OSCE Academy is strongly embedded in the wider Central Asian academic and political context and follows a distinctive regional approach. As a centre for post-graduate education, capacity building, research and regional dialogue, the Academy offers an absorbing and demanding programme.

The Academy provides a regional and international public forum for professionals and students in the spirit of co-operation in the fields of international relations, comprehensive security, democratization, the rule of law and human rights.

The core tasks of the Academy are:

• to provide expert training and education in human rights, media development, conflict prevention, management, resolution and post-conflict rehabilitation;
• to conduct demand-driven and practice-oriented research on relevant Central Asian topics aiming at local, national and regional security-building;
• to support the exchange of information and scientific co-operation among Central Asian academic institutions and their international partner organizations;
• to establish a regional network of professionals and researchers.

The MA Programme in Political Science is currently in its fifth year, with 20 students from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. More than 100 students have graduated from the Academy since 2004.