AUCA, based on the American curriculum, was created as the Kyrgyz-American School under the Kyrgyz State National University in 1993, and later was founded as the first Liberal Arts Institution in Central Asian region in 1997. The former US Vice President Al Gore and former first Lady Hillary Clinton attended the official opening ceremonies in 1993 and 1997. With a total enrollment of about 1050 students, AUCA is the Alma Mater of roughly 200 students graduating yearly from Central Asian region and outside. Today, the university is feared to be a possible target for terrorists hiding within Kyrgyzstan.

According to the 23 September memo released by the acting President John Drier, the university administration received serious warnings from the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek about possible terrorist attacks. “[U.S.] Ambassador [Stephen] Young and I agreed that AUCA is a potential target, and it would be prudent for us to take measures to mitigate these risks” noted President Drier. Starting from now on, all students, professors and other members of the university community have to present their identification cards to guards at the entrance. In this context, the Registrar’s Office was also immediately asked to expedite the process of issuing and distributing ID cards for those who don’t have them. Accordingly, a neck strings for carrying university IDs were also distributed throughout the university. The university guests have to register with the guards as well and carry a “ visitor” name tag while in the university.

As a part of the series of security measures, no cars will from now on be allowed to park in front of the university buildings. Delivery vehicles will also be searched for any possible weaponry or explosives to avoid any possible car bombs. The buildings of the university will be patrolled by specially hired “third party security firm” guards. “Even the name American is irritating for terrorists” says a university guard at the entrance door. Along with procedures being implemented, voluntary training sessions on security, supported by U.S. Embassy in Bishkek, are being held for university staff, faculty and students. At the first security training at AUCA, the Chief Security Officer from the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek talked about precautions over what to do in case of conventional attacks, abductions or a terrorist attack using chemical or biological weapons. Some students thought these measures could create a certain level of paranoia among the university community. Some are pessimistic about the measures per se. \"Oh, it does not matter. If terrorists really want to blow this place up, nothing will stop them\" says an AUCA graduate.

In the meantime, these new security measures have caused some inconveniences among the students. A student or a faculty member could basically not enter the building in case they forgot their ID card. As a result, numerous cases of students not being able to get to their classes on time were encountered daily at the early stage of this security service functioning. But, according to the guards at the entrance doors, the majority of students understand the importance of the security procedures and react rather submissively. To lessen the level of discomfort at the entrance, additional telephones were installed so that the staff members, faculty and students could reach their offices and get their identification confirmed.

According to an October 15 follow-up memo by President Drier, the President’s Cabinet received “additional credible reports that locally based terrorist cells are planning an attack against American interests in Kyrgyzstan.” As such, AUCA being the only American University in Central Asia appears to be a possible target. President Drier specifically wanted to “ask all of our [AUCA] foreign nationals (both teachers and students) to be on guard against the possibility of personal abduction.” In the meantime, the Secretary General of NATO, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer also visited AUCA on October 19 right before his scheduled meeting with the President Askar Akaev. At the meeting with the students of AUCA, Scheffer gave a speech emphasizing the strategic role of Kyrgyzstan in the fight against terrorism and the urgent need to secure the country’s borders from flow of terrorists as well as religious extremists.

Thus, this new series of security measures at AUCA appears to be urgent and important to reduce the risk of any kind of terrorist threat. The latest tragic events in Beslan, Russia also point out that the threat of terrorism is very pervasive and that the security around the university needs to be strengthened.