Kyrgyzstan
July 2011 - 2009 Fellow Tolkunbek Abdygulov is appointed Head of Economy and Strategic Development Department, Office of the Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic
June 2011 - 2006 Fellow Maria Lisitsyna writes for Open Society Foundation: A Birthday in Jail for Human Rights Defender
March 2011 - The John Smith Memorial Trust is delighted to announce that Akjoltoi Bazarov and Uluk Kydyrbaev have been awarded a place on the 2011 John Smith Fellowship Programme. They will travel to the UK in June as 2011 John Smith Fellows.
November 2010 - The John Smith Memorial Trust will be conducting a series of online seminars during the week commencing 22nd November in which the Trust's Director Brian Brivati will answer your questions about the application process and the Fellowship Programme. Details of the seminar in Kyrgyzstan are as follows: Bishkek - 7pm, 23rd November. Please email Nadezhda Anisimova for venue information and to subscribe to the event.
20 August 2010 - Tolkunbek Abdygulov (2009 Fellow) has been appointed as acting State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Regulation of the Kyrgyz Republic.
5th July 2010 - The Trust held a round table discussion involving a number of representatives from Kyrgyzstan to discuss the armed clashes that followed the change of government in Kyrgyzstan earlier in the year. Kyrgyz John Smith Fellows, and other experts present, presented views on the recent events as well as on the need to rebuild good inter-community relations in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyz John Smith Fellows have since created an internet space to enable interaction with other Fellows and those interested in Kyrgyzstan to share news and discuss ways in which they can all contribute to the development of the country.
Advisory Board member John Newbigin launches 2010 Fellowship Programme in Kyrgyzstan
On a recent visit to Kyrgyzstan, Trust Adviser John Newbigin launched the 2010 John Smith Fellowship Programme in Bishkek and Osh. Read More
Trust Advisor Lord Haworth travels to Bishkek in September 2008 as part of a parliamentary delegation visit. On 19th September he took part in a press conference in order to launch the 2009 Fellowship Programme in Kyrgyzstan. Taking part in the press conference with Lord Haworth, were Chinara Kasmambetova (2000 Fellow) and Sheradil Baktygulov (2001 Fellow) together with Lena Milosevic, Director of the British Council Kazakhstan. They answered questions about the Fellowship Programme, encouraging talented young Kyrgyz leaders to apply for next year’s programme. Lord Haworth also met with Fellows later that evening at the Santa Maria Restaurant where he spent an enjoyable evening with Gulnaz Baiturova (2006 Fellow), Farida Sulaimanova (2008 Fellow), Sheradil Baktygulov (2001 Fellow), Chinara Kasmambetova (2000 Fellow), Gulfia Abdullaeva (2001 Fellow), Guldjan Aldasheva (2002 Fellow) and Lena Milosevic (British Council). The Trust is grateful to Lord Haworth, our Fellows and Lena for their support and their promotion of the Programme.
2001 Kyrgyz Fellow Sheradil Baktygulov launches 'Kyrgyz Connect'
Sheradil Baktygulov, 2001 Fellow, has recently established the Kyrgyz Connect project - connecting Kyrgyz and American students to show them their commonalities and shared experiences. Sheradil is a Hubert H.Humphrey Fellow at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and launched this project with the help of UNC's Center for Slavic, Eurasian and Eastern European Studies. Read More
British Council Library Opens in Bishkek
On the 19th January 2007, the Deputy Director of British Council Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan, Paul Norton, and several senior representatives from the Kyrgyz government opened a new centre of British Literature and Education at the National Library of Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek. Read More
Trustee Lord McCluskey visits Kyrgyzstan
Lord McCluskey visited Kyrgyzstan from 25 - 30 October 2005. The planned programme had to be substantially altered because of political unrest, involving a serious 'picket' of parliament by some thousands of demonstrators. The purpose of the visit was to meet the Fellows, to spread knowledge of the Programme and understanding of its aims and methods, and to learn from the Fellows how their work was progressing. All the available Fellows attended various events. Lord McCluskey, with the help of the British Council and the Fellows, met several hundred people at different venues, including a Trust Reception, and gave a Press conference, which resulted in much publicity about the Trust and the Programme. Photo Gallery Three
Articles
Kyrgyz Revolution - a personal view
An article by a Senior John Smith Fellow giving a personal view on the events in Kyrgyzstan in March 2005
New Power in Kyrgyzstan
by 2000 Fellow Chinara Kasmambetova
'In light of the growing complaints of citizens, of the opposition and others in all spheres of the life, about the state of the economy, unemployment, poverty, and corruption, the early end of President A. Akaev’s regime was predictable. But nobody expected that it would happen so quickly and with the results that we have seen....'