Dr. Kamal Fatehi, (r) chats with Olga Skopina, president of Kazak American University at The Georgian Club. The Coles College of Business and Kazak American University have entered into a formal academic agreement that will allow students from Kazak American University to earn a business degree from KSU

Coles College of Business extends influence to central Asia

by Jennifer Hafer

An agreement between the Coles College of Business and Kazak American University could pave the way for educational exchanges across central Asia.

“This is the first step toward a program which supports joint academic programs and faculty training,” Dean Tim Mescon said. “This will further the Coles College’s goal of educational excellence in international business.”

The college has signed a formal academic agreement with Kazak American University in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan.

In February, Dr. Kamal Fatehi, chairman of the department of management and entrepreneurship, traveled to the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgizstan in central Asia. His goal was to establish academic relationships with 10 institutions. The agreement with the private Kazak American University is the first to be formalized.

With the signing of the agreement, Fatehi and his faculty will begin advising their Kazak American University counterparts on developing curriculum in their business program that will match KSU’s. Once any necessary revisions are made, the agreement will allow for faculty, as well as student exchanges. Kazak students will even have the opportunity to earn their degrees from KSU, after completing their junior and senior years here.

“It will take them at least a year or so to send students through the revised curriculum, so maybe in three years, we’ll have Kazak students visiting KSU,” Fatehi said. “These new students will add intellectual richness and diversity to this university, as a result of their coming here to study and interacting with our students.”

Agreements such as this one become even more important as the developing countries of central Asia, which have abandoned Soviet economic and governmental systems, struggle to establish new systems, Fatehi said.
“These relationships are important to help open up central Asia to economic development,” he said. “Additionally, we are spending billions of dollars abroad helping other nations. Why? Because if they are our friends, we don’t have to fight them. With these kinds of agreements, the university is doing its part in establishing and expanding understanding between countries, cultures and people.”

Additional academic partnerships being pursued as part of this program include:

• The Academy of Management, Kyrgyz European University and the Institute of Economics in Kyrgizstan;
• The Strategic Research Center, Tajik National University and the Institute of Economics in Tajikistan;
• Kazak British Technical University and the Center for Management Education Development in Kazakhstan; and
• The International Academy of Business in Kazakhstan.
  
  

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