The Ala-Too International University (russian: Международный университет «Ала-Тоо»; ky, Эл аралык Ататүрк-Алатоо Университети), formerly known as the International Atatürk-Alatoo University, is a private university located in

Bishkek Bishkek ( ky, Бишкек), ), formerly Pishpek and Frunze, is the capital and largest city of Kyrgyzstan. Bishkek is also the administrative centre of the Chüy Region. The region surrounds the city, although the city itself is not part of ...

Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the east. ...

that was established in 1996. The university offers graduate, masters, and doctoral programs. It is often ranked as one of Kyrgyzstan's most prestigious universities.

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

is the primary

medium of instruction A medium of instruction (plural: media of instruction, or mediums of instruction) is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. If the first language of students is different from the offic ...

at the university. However, some classes are taught in

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

and a few other classes are taught in Turkish. The Ala-Too International University was affiliated and funded by Muhammed Fethullah Gülen and his group advocating global Islamic education. Following the failed

2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt On 15 July 2016, a faction within the Turkish Armed Forces, organized as the Peace at Home Council, attempted a coup d'état against state institutions, including the government and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. They attempted to seize cont ...

, which the Turkish government blamed on Gülen, the university changed its name from the International Atatürk-Alatoo University to the Ala-Too International University, appointed a Kyrgyz rector, and generally started to position itself more as a local institution.

History

The Ala-Too International University was established as the International Atatürk-Alatoo University in 1996 by the Sebat Educational Foundation which promotes and follows the tenets of Islam espoused by

Fethullah Gülen Muhammed Fethullah Gülen (born 27 April 1941) is a Turkish Islamic scholar, preacher, and a one-time opinion leader, as de facto leader of the Gülen movement. Gülen is designated an influential neo-Ottomanist, Anatolian panethnicist, Isl ...

. In the wake of the

, which the Turkish government blames on Gülen, the administration of Turkish president

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (born 26 February 1954) is a Turkish politician serving as the List of presidents of Turkey, 12th and current president of Turkey since 2014. He previously served as prime minister of Turkey from 2003 to 2014 and as Lis ...

demanded that Kyrgyzstan close down institutions affiliated with the

Gülen movement The Gülen movement ( tr, Gülen hareketi), referred to by its participants as Hizmet ("service") or Cemaat ("community") and since 2016 by the Government of Turkey as FETÖ ("Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation" or, more commonly, "Fethullah T ...

. However, the Kyrgyz government refused to comply with

Ankara Ankara ( , ; ), historically known as Ancyra and Angora, is the capital of Turkey. Located in the central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5.1 million in its urban center and over 5.7 million in Ankara Province, maki ...

's demands. In February 2017, the Turkish government announced that diplomas issued by the Ala-Too International University would no longer be valid in Turkey. Subsequently, the name of the university was changed from the International Atatürk-Alatoo University to the Ala-Too International University. The name of the organization that runs the Ala-Too International University along with 35 other schools and colleges was also changed from the Sebat Educational Foundation to the Sapat Educational Foundation. ''Sapat'' means "quality" in Kyrgyz.

Academics

The Ala-Too International University has the following departments and programs:

Faculty of New Technologies

* Computer science * Electronics and nanoelectronics engineering * Applied mathematics and IT

Faculty of Social Sciences

* Turkology * Сhinese language and translation * Simultaneous translation * English language and literature * Pedagogy * Psychology * Journalism

Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences

* World economy and international business * International relations * Management * Finance and banking * Law * Accounting and audit * Industrial engineering

Faculty of Medicine

* General medicine * Pediatrics

Vocational Education

* Economy and accounting * Banking * Marketing * Computer systems and complexes * Software engineering * Design * Jurisprudence

Distance Learning Center

* Management * Finance and Banking & Accounting * Accounting , Analysis and Audit * Internatıonal Economy and Business * Pedagogy

References

External links

Official website

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ala-Too International University Educational institutions established in 1996 Universities in Kyrgyzstan 1996 establishments in Kyrgyzstan Things named after Mustafa Kemal Atatürk