Ambassador Bakyt Beshimov combines extensive experience in education, politics, diplomacy, and development. He is presently the Vice-President for Academic Affairs at the American University in Central Asia. His vision and goal in this position is to transform the university into a vibrant source of leadership, driving Central Asian development and integration. Prior to this, Bakyt Beshimov served as Kyrgyzstan’s Ambassador to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. His ambassadorial work centered on building the foundation for a lasting, fruitful, and multi-level friendship between these countries and Kyrgyzstan, and capitalizing on powerful emerging trends such as IT, renewable energy, and regional trade and tourism. Before this diplomatic assignment, Ambassador Beshimov served as a Member of Parliament of Kyrgyzstan, where he developed the Parliament’s important linkages with international organizations and pushed for progressive investment, education, and anti-corruption reforms. He also served as the Rector of the Osh State University and upon assumption of that post became the youngest university rector in Kyrgyzstan. In his six years at the university, he transformed it from its earlier position as a regional pedagogic institute, opening several new departments and learning centers, such as medicine, business and management, theology, the Center for the Study of the Indian Civilization, and the Modern Languages Laboratory. Throughout this time and in conjunction with his primary professional roles, he served as the National Manager of the United Nations Ferghana Valley Development Program and of the UNDP Local Initiative for Urban Environment. He is a frequent contributor to national and regional media, and he sees his public role as adding vision to opportunity and analysis to vision. His dream for Central Asia is that of a region of vibrant, positive cultures, humane, visionary politics, and dynamic, innovative economies. He received the Bachelor’s, Master’s and Candidate’s degrees in history and political science from Kyrgyz National University.

back to top

About the Discussants

Dr. Anara Tabyshalieva is a specialist on issues of security, development, history, and religion in Central Asia. She works for the Kyrgyzstan Institute for Regional Studies and was a Senior Fellow at the United States Institute for Peace. She was co-editor of Volume VI of "History of Civilizations of Central Asia" published by UNESCO, for which she also wrote the chapters on the history of Kyrgyzstan and the structure of society in Central Asia. She has authored the report on human security in Central Asia commissioned by UNESCO and contributed to the UNDP Central Asia Human Development Report. Recently she has written a chapter on the security-development nexus in Kyrgyzstan for the International Peace Academy book on conflict prevention. She holds a Ph.D. equivalent in history from Kyrgyz National University.

back to top