KHOROG, May 7, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- The Khorog campus of the School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPCE) of the University of Central Asia (UCA) has launched an open-door action for the Khorog school leavers.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the UCA Khorog campus public affairs officer Nekrouz Sarbalandov said that the main objective of the action was to acquaint local school leavers with activity of the SPCE as a whole and its training course programs in particular.

According to him, the School now offers training courses on international accounting standards, English, information technologies and technical specialties as well as training course for tour operators dealing with mountain tourism.

During a week, 500 school leavers from Khorog will have an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the SPCE programs and training courses as well as terms for participating in these programs.

In 2008 alone, some 2,000 people took training courses provided by the School, Sarbalandov said.

UCA’s School of Professional and Continuing Education (SPCE) is Central Asia’s first provider of formal, university-based, non-degree educational programs, offering vocational, professional development and personal improvement opportunities to youth and adults.

Established in 2006, SPCE is UCA’s first operational academic program, and has the mission of fostering economic development.  It does this by responding to trends and needs in the local economies of the communities in which it operates and offering courses that improve employment and income generating opportunities for youth and adults, and professional development opportunities for mid-career professionals.  By building vocational skills and professional competencies, SPCE encourages entrepreneurship in the region and stimulate economic development.

SPCE has town campuses in the three UCA campus towns of Khorog, Tekeli, and Naryn.  The School has worked in Khorog since October 2006