On January 26, 2026 a meeting on partnership between Switzerland and Kyrgyzstan in the field of hotel and business education was held at the Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn. The event was attended by the Rector of KNU, Professor Dogdurbek Chontoev, Director of the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Economy and Commerce Erdenet Kasymov, representative of the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Innovations Ilgiz Sultanov, Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Relations of KNU, Baktybek Keldibekov, Dean of the Faculty of Geography, Ecology and Tourism Ryskul Toktorova, and Deputy director of the Kyrgyz-Japanese Institute Zhenish Beksultanov.
During the meeting, it was noted that Kyrgyzstan aims to become a full-fledged tourist center by 2030 by implementing large-scale projects in Issyk-Kul, Bishkek and other regions (for example, Ala-Too Resort, Chatkal Resort), which will require highly educated top managers and excellent specialists in the field of tourism, and the activities of the Business and Hotel Management School (BHMS) in Lucerne, Switzerland were presented.
According to Ovidiu Nika, the regional manager of the school, BHMS offers dual diplomas from the UK and Switzerland, a study model that includes 6 months of study and 6 months of paid internships, as well as close ties with the global hotel industry. BHMS has previously worked with students from Central Asia and is well aware of the specifics of the region.
Rector Dogdurbek Chontoev expressed his readiness to exchange international experience as the main educational institution in the country for training personnel and supports such initiatives.
Within the framework of the partnership between Switzerland and Kyrgyzstan in the field of hotel and business education, issues of student access and finances were also discussed.
