An American in Kyrgyzstan

Academic Programs Associate Connor Cowman interviewed University of Chicago Chapter President Andrew Joel about his upcoming immersion program in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Connor Cowman: Andrew, tell me where you’re studying and what you’ll be doing in the summer.

Andrew Joel: I’m doing a State Department language grant for general critical languages. I’ll be studying the Russian language in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The grant is focused on cultivating foreign language skills for people who want to work in the federal government. This Summer, I’ll be spending 10 weeks in Bishkek, living with a host family and doing different cultural activities. A big goal of the program is to cultivate cultural diplomacy and exchange with the young adult population there. I’ll be doing four hours of language classes a day, a bit of Kyrgyz language instruction, and then we get paired up with young adults within the city to better understand Central Asian populations and cultures.

CC: And what is the thing that you’re most looking forward to?

AJ: I’m most excited to live with a host family. I did a similar program in Latvia in high school, and it’s a cool thing to be able to live with a family that doesn’t speak English and be able to understand how they view the world in a better way than just traveling and staying in a hotel. So…I’m most excited to spend 10 weeks just really getting to know how Kyrgyz people view and interact with the world.

CC: That’s certainly very exciting. It also sounds a bit challenging. Do you expect to be pushed on any particular skill set while you’re there?

AJ: Yes, I’ve taken two years of Russian at the University of Chicago, but living in a city and trying to get around a city that is less developed and also doesn’t have a lot of English speakers and isn’t oriented towards Westerners or tourists is going to be a little more difficult. Just working around the general language gap is going to be a challenge, but also probably the biggest benefit, because at this point in my language learning, it’ll be really beneficial for me to have to function fully in Russian without being able to rely on going into English.

CC: Kyrgyzstan and the United States are very different countries. You haven’t been there yet, but what are the biggest differences and similarities that you expect to see between the two cultures?

AJ: I think the most interesting thing is that it’s in the Commonwealth of Independent States. It was in the Soviet Union. The Soviet and post-Soviet views of the world are very different from ours, and there’s still some nostalgia for the socialist program. It’ll be especially interesting to see that. Also, it’s a much more homogenous culture in that it’s mostly Sunni Muslim, though there are some Russian Orthodox. Rather than the multiculturalism of the U.S., there’s a very developed, single religious national identity, and then also an appreciation for the history of living in and of being part of the Soviet Union. They are also now very close to China due to soft power economic influence. Kyrgyzstan is just generally outside of the U.S. sphere of power, so it will be interesting to feel what that’s like.

CC: Absolutely. In terms of foreign policy, what do you think should be the United States’s orientation towards Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia in general? What do you see as important there?

AJ: I think what’s most important is not letting Russia and China’s economic power within the region turn into political control. There’s been a loose association with the CSTO to try to bind Central Asia and Kyrgyzstan more closely to Russian military power. And I know the State Department in the past has invested a bit in democracy building. But mostly, these states have been very undemocratic oligarchies based on their natural resource wealth. So the most important thing should be trying to cultivate as good of a relationship with the West as possible so that Central Asians can build up the political institutions that are prerequisites to fair elections and democratization of wealth. And then, these states could even become allies or partners within a region that’s very strategically positioned.

CC: Last question from me. In your preparations for this experience, what are some tips or advice that you might give to other students who are going to do something like this or study abroad somewhere?

AJ: I recommend considering how studying abroad can be more than a fun college experience. I want to work either as a foreign service officer or at a think tank. And since having Russian language skills would benefit me, I’m taking this seriously. Also, this is fully funded by the State Department. Looking for opportunities that can be both funded and loop into your career can be very helpful. After that, just put both feet into it. Just being very open to unique experiences like this can benefit you a lot, not just in career preparation, but personal development.