AUBG and AUCA - American Education in Europe and Asia

Studying abroad and participating in exchange programs are essential parts of AUBG's culture and spirit. Every semester, students from all over the world have an exchange semester in AUBG where they have the opportunity to learn from each other, exchange ideas and foster a culture of dialogue and debate.

One of these universities is the American University in Central Asia (AUCA) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. AUCA is only two years younger than AUBG and the universities have a lot in common. Both American Universities hold leading positions for education in their respective countries and promote the liberal arts tradition. But what are the similarities and differences between these two American Universities, and can the location of the institution make a difference?

While talking about the two universities, Umarjon Voheedov, an exchange student from AUCA, said, "I found AUBG students more individualistic. People are more focused on their own business while in AUCA I feel we have more of a friendship aura."

But Umarjon also shared that clubs in AUBG are more active compared to AUCA. He said, "The reason might be the lack of financial support from the administrative department in AUCA, but I am not sure." 

Despite the differences in club activities, Umarjon said that both universities' students are very active and ambitious. "Students in both universities study hard and also are busy with extracurricular activities," Umarjon said. 

Bakhtovar Umarov, another exchange student from AUCA also shared his experience. "One of the first differences was food. In AUBG, your food options are limited, and the canteen food is not very good," he said. 

Bakhtovar said that it is almost impossible to find food after midnight in Blagoevgrad, while in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, he never faced such problems. He also said that he found AUBG more advanced and developed, which surprised him as before coming, he did not have high expectations. 

"I liked that in AUBG, you have a huge library, and also the housing is very close; in AUCA our housing is far from campus; that's another difference that I experienced," Bakhtovar said.

Bakhtovar said that he enjoyed his overall experience at AUBG. "AUBG has a great atmosphere, and I would recommend students to try this experience themselves," he said.