Luncheon meeting with Dr. Buckley from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC), United States.

          The IAAU Rector Dr. Prof. Osman Gokalp and several faculty members – Dr. Prof. Urmat 

Tynaliev, Dr. Prof. Ibrahim Qelesh and Dr. Prof. Kiyalbek Akmoldoev took part at the luncheon 

meeting with Dr. Buckley from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign (UIUC), United 

States on the 21st about Dr. Buckley:

           Dr. Cynthia Buckley is Professor of Sociology at UIUC. Prior to her arrival at Illinois, Professor 

Buckley was a faculty member of both the Department of Sociology and Eurasian Studies at the 

University of Texas at Austin. Additionally, she served as the Director of CREEES (Center for 

Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies), Chair of the Department of Eurasian Studies, 

Training Director for the Population Research Center, and was on the Executive Committee 

of the Faculty Council. For two years prior to her arrival at Illinois, Professor Buckley was on 

administrative leave from the University of Texas and served as a Program Director at the Social 

Science Research Council. During her time at SSRC (Social Science Research Council), she 

directed fellowship and research programs for Eurasia. Buckley received a BA in Economics and 

an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Michigan.

             She is presently completing a multi-year National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) project on 

the emergence of the Eurasian Migration System. Her next project will examine changing 

population and health patterns in Central Asia and their implications for economic and political 

security within this geo-politically important regions.

The following topics, among many others, were discussed: 

1. Introducing an Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the planned Research and Policy Center 

at IAAU. It will increase the Center’s future research and other projects' credibility. So far none 

of Research Centers or Think Tanks in Bishkek have this; so IAAU may become the first to have 

it. Dr. Buckley offered to receive a certificate from her university. 
 

2. Access to the online resources of UIUC. Dr. Buckley invited Dr. Prof. Urmat Tynaliev

to become a Research Associate to have access to these resources at this point and then later 

formalize relationship between IAAU and UIUC by signing an MOU between these universities.

Also some other follow up things after the summer break, including online courses access for our 

students and faculty members from both sides and so forth were discussed.

Photo report