The competition’s aim was to visualize problems faced by local governments and local communities as well as to identify solutions and good practices. 

Artists and authors of the posters from different regions of Kyrgyzstan, representatives of the State Agency on local self-governance and interethnic relations under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic as well as representatives of the Embassy of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic participated in the opening ceremony. During the event, winners and successful participants received awards.

“I am convinced that the visual art works that we see today will encourage citizens of Kyrgyzstan, including women, youth and vulnerable groups, to actively participate in the life of their communities and get involved in local self-governance,” – said Lucien Aegerter, representative of the Embassy of Switzerland in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The competition was organized by the “Municipalitet” magazine (www.municipalitet.kg) under the “Voice of citizens and accountability of local self-governments: budgetary process” project (www.vap.kg) funded by the Government of Switzerland through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).  The competition was conducted by the Development Policy Institute with participation of design.kg, the Union of artists of Kyrgyzstan and the Chuikov Art college.

The project aims at more transparent and effective management of local finances by local self-governments through increased accountability and citizen participation in decision making processes.

The medical clinic was opened by the Osh State University with support of the Swiss side in the frame of the project “Reform of medical education” in Kyrgyzstan - the University funded USD 50’000 and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation sponsored CHF 35’000 including technical support and expertise.

The center will provide opportunities for medical students to gain more clinical skills during their education at the university. It has such departments as “pediatrics”, “therapy”, “surgery”, “obstetrics” and “gynecology” “maternity department”, “reanimation”. The clinical center contains simulation and medical equipment, mannequins of the human parts where students will know about disease symptoms and learn how to treat them.

“Today, the new curriculum on general practitioner specialty is being implemented at the Kyrgyz State Medical Academy and first graduates are expected in June 2018. In September 2016 the Osh State University has started teaching medicine based on new curricula”, said the Ambassador of Switzerland to the Kyrgyz Republic, René Holenstein. “This clinical skills center is one of the new learning tools for the medical students created to improve clinical skills and to become experienced doctors in future to save lives of the population”.