As economic development is at the heart of the University of Central Asia’s (UCA) overall strategy, the UCA has been supporting the transformation of its undergraduate campus towns in Khorog (Tajikistan) and Naryn (Kyrgyzstan) into “university towns”. Through the University Town Development project, UCA aims to serve as a catalyst for the development of Naryn and Khorog by strengthening existing enterprises and promoting the establishment of new ones.

In addition to offering undergraduate students academic qualifications of an international standard, UCA, in partnership with Government and other Aga Khan Development agencies, is pursuing social sector development initiatives in education, health, hospitality, tourism, enterprise, and rural development.

In Khorog, these initiatives include a Medical Centre for outpatient and expanded inpatient services, training and courses, learning materials, medical equipment, pharmacies and teleconsultations at several institutions in conjunction with the Aga Khan Health Services, as well as a wide range of interventions supported by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in health promotion, facility rehabilitation and equipping, pharmaceutical procurement, distribution and sales, and training in new clinical and managerial practices. The Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) has rehabilitated Pamir Energy, a hydroelectric plant that provides the town with electricity 24/7, converted a building into a Serena Hotel, and invested in a mobile phone operator. The Mountain Societies Development Support Programme (MSDSP), which is part of AKF, has promoted sustainable agricultural intensification and land management, improved and expanded public and private services, constructed a cross-border bridge to Afghanistan (and a cross-border market), renovated 12 sports fields and two gyms in Khorog, and created an organisation to promote tourism, among other initiatives.

Kishvar Shamiri, the Mayor of Khorog, lauds the cooperation between the Government and the Aga Khan Development Network that created the state-of-the-art UCA campus in Khorog: “It is the result of this co-operation that the intellectual space, which is being operated in line with international standards in Khorog, involves the youth of our country getting an education of an international standard,” he notes. “Also, the design of UCA gives our town a new and attractive image.”