Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts

History

The restaurant industry is growing quickly throughout the world, as well as in Kyrgyzstan, where highly-qualified professionals are in demand. Graduates can work in restaurants, bars, entertainment centers, fast food industries, catering, nutrition organizations, and in other industries. 

The Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts prepares students for work in the restaurant and food industry. Since 2007, the Department has offered a Bachelor's degree in Restaurant Management, and since 2012 has offered a Bachelor's degree in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts. 

The goal of the Bachelor's degree in Gastronomy and Culinary Arts is to prepare competitive specialists in the area of restaurant business who can find work in Kyrgyzstan and abroad. 

Goals of the Department:

• Offer students the knowledge and skills they need to manage a restaurant, and to build their career at the national or international level in the hospitality industry by starting or developing a company;
• Offer each student the opportunity to complete practice at leading hospitality institutions in Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and beyond;
• Learn at least four languages (English, German, Turkish, Russian);
• Organize master classes, competitions, and seminars from leading chefs, experts and entrepreneurs, to expose students to new ideas and improve their qualifications. 

General and specialized classes for students are offered starting from the first year, covering the basics of tourism, management, sanitation, food preparation, service, ecology, English, economics, safety, and so on. In addition, students must also complete 10 elective courses in order to graduate. In their final year, students work on their thesis, and defend it in front of a commission.