U.S. Caef: U.S. Central Asia Education Foundation

The U.S.-Central Asia Education Foundation (U.S.-CAEF) is committed to fostering a vibrant, open-market, private business sector in Central Asia by providing the region’s most outstanding students access to quality Western-style business education, and practical professional experience. U.S.-CAEF carries out its mission through Enterprise Student Fellowships, which provide full funding for four years of study in business, economics, software engineering, or applied mathematics and informatics at one of the two U.S.-CAEF partner universities- KIMEP University in Almaty and AUCA in Bishkek. The fellowships are awarded to qualified students based on academic merit and financial need. Over the past 13 years since the program’s inception, U.S.-CAEF has provided critically important financial support to 381 outstanding students from all Central Asian republics. Currently, 95 U.S.-CAEF Enterprise Fellows are enrolled in degree programs, while 286 have successfully graduated and gone on to prominent careers as accountants, managers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs throughout Central Asia. U.S.-CAEF has also developed a highly engaged alumni association with an elected leadership team. The association takes an active role in supporting current and former fellows by conducting a wide range of professional development activities. U.S.-CAEF was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in May 2007 to further the work of the Central Asian-American Enterprise Fund by building upon the private-sector development assistance programs established by the Fund through education. In 2019, U.S.-CAEF was provided additional funding by the U.S. Department of State which made it possible for the program to continue offering Central Asian students life-altering opportunities to obtain a Western-style education at AUCA, Bishkek. The program is administered by American Councils for International Education.