TIS University Admissions Counselor and I attended Grand Opening of Webster University’s Tashkent campus program. It is remarkable at the speed that they started with 500 students enrolled in this first semester. Webster University’s main campus is in St. Louis, Missouri, USA was founded in 1915 as a Catholic women’s college. They were one of the first universities to take advantage of the transnational education trend and now have campuses seven different countries and several cities in the USA. They have an NCAA Division I championship chess team and an unusual nickname, The Gorloks, an portmanteau of two streets on their suburban St. Louis campus.
A $3,000 annual tuition is quite an incentive for students to attend. Webster is the first American university to open in Uzbekistan. The students were enthusiastic hosts to Mr. Ross and I and we received a nice tour of the campus. The rooms are modern and we met an American film professor on the faculty. The campus is in a great location, near the canal. Current classrooms are in the former Architecture Institute Building and they have expansion plans. I think it will be a successful venture and Webster is bold to take a chance in an emerging market. Uzbekistan is a young country demographically and there is a lot of bright, young people thirsting for education. My only concern would be if there is enough money here to keep up student numbers as the university matures.
A TIS alumna is the Public Relations Officer for the university. It is great for our students that another option for English language university education is opening in Tashkent. I would like to thank Webster for their hospitality, congratulate them on their success and send them best wishes for continued growth! Go Gorlocks!
TIS Director's Blog 
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