2025-03-04
FIRST & CURRENTLY SOLE PHD PROGRAM IN TOURISM IN KYRGYZSTAN
Thanks to the scientific foresight and research-driven efforts of the Rectorate of Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, the Institute of Postgraduate Education, and especially the leadership of the Faculty of Tourism, tourism research has been officially recognized in Kyrgyzstan as an independent scientific field. Building on this recognition, the country’s first PhD program in "Tourism" was launched in the 2024–2025 academic year under the "Travel Business and Tourism Guidance" department.
In accordance with the allocated quota for Kyrgyzstan’s first and currently only PhD program in "Tourism," five of applicants who submitted their documents were selected through a competitive examination process. Meanwhile, Asel Kaparova, Myrzagul Baktybek kyzy, Elbek Kalbekov, Akif Korkmaz, and Suyunbek Chykynov have commenced their advanced studies and research within the PhD program.
In the increasingly competitive global tourism market—where Central Asia is emerging as a unified destination, particularly in Kyrgyzstan—science-based strategies are essential for sustainable tourism development and management. In this regard, we hold high expectations for the research and future dissertations of the first PhD candidates in our newly established program. We are confident that through the dedicated efforts of our doctoral students, many of the pressing challenges facing Kyrgyzstan’s tourism industry—an increasingly complex socio-economic sector—will be addressed through a rigorous scientific approach.
