Turkmenistan and the USA expand educational cooperation

From October 18 to 28, a high-level delegation from Turkmenistan’s education sector is on a working visit to the United States to expand practical cooperation between educational institutions of the two countries.

The delegation includes representatives of the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan, as well as leaders and faculty members from Magtymguly Turkmen State University, the Turkmen State Institute of Finance, the Institute of Telecommunications and Informatics of Turkmenistan, the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gas University, the Dovletmammet Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages, and secondary vocational schools with a focus on pedagogy and medicine.

The first stop of the visit was Northwest College in the city of Powell, Wyoming. During the meeting, opportunities for cooperation between Northwest College and the Berdimuhamet Annayev Pedagogical Secondary Vocational School in the city of Arkadag were discussed.

The parties outlined plans to hold joint educational events focused on studying the psychological characteristics of young children, research methods in child and preschool psychology, as well as sharing experiences and approaches in English language teaching, involving faculty from the college.

On October 20, a meeting was held on the Northwest College campus between the Turkmen delegation and the college’s leadership, headed by President Lisa Watson. On the sidelines of the meeting, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between Northwest College and the Indira Gandhi Ashgabat Medical School. The signed Memorandum laid the foundation for systematic cooperation in training mid-level medical personnel, developing simulation-based learning, and integrating digital technologies into medical education.

As part of the visit, a detailed tour of the college facilities was organized for the Turkmen delegates, with a special focus on the nursing education programs. The delegates visited simulation labs equipped with high-fidelity mannequins, vital signs monitoring stations, and clinical skills practice equipment. Experts demonstrated the use of VR technologies to model various clinical scenarios and assess the students’ actions in real time. It was noted that this practice-oriented learning model is embedded in the Associate Degree in Nursing program, which combines theory, lab work, simulation, and clinical practice.

Further discussions explored potential areas of cooperation in biology with the participation of Magtymguly Turkmen State University. Proposed areas included student research projects and courses focused on the application of biological methods in various economic sectors, biomedicine, and environmental monitoring, as well as project work at the intersection of biology and management disciplines (such as school administration and educational analytics). The college representatives presented options for foundational training in biology and pathways for continuing education at advanced levels.

In parallel, practical cooperation opportunities were considered with the Turkmen State Institute of Finance, including the organization of joint modules on academic English for economics, digital financial literacy, and applied data analytics, as well as short-term faculty exchange visits for co-teaching and joint curriculum development.

Within the framework of partnership in energy and engineering, the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gas University expressed interest in aligning pre-engineering training (mathematics, physics, IT, basics of modeling) with modern simulation tools and field-based learning formats.

As a result of the meetings, both sides confirmed their mutual focus on achieving practical outcomes. In the medical field, this includes cooperation in the use of simulation and VR modules; faculty development and mentor exchange; development of educational and methodological materials; and systems for assessing knowledge and skills. In teacher education, plans include organizing a series of online classes and methodological seminars, exchanges, and summer schools. In the fields of natural sciences and engineering, partnerships are being established to implement project-based student courses, align pre-engineering training with research practices, and identify pathways for further study.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the parties agreed to prepare the necessary documents and working plans in the near future across all areas of cooperation, as well as to define specific performance indicators and regularly exchange results.

As part of the Turkmen delegation’s working visit to the United States, visits to other universities are planned, including Montana State University Billings (Billings), University of Montana (Missoula), Montana State University (Bozeman), and the University of Wyoming (Laramie), as well as a number of meetings in Washington, D.C., dedicated to issues of online learning, technology diplomacy, and the development of modern educational programs.

The meetings on the agenda cover a wide range of topics, including English language and pedagogy, ecology and water security, economics, healthcare, engineering, agrotechnologies, information technology, and digital competencies.

As representatives of both sides emphasized, cooperation between educational institutions of Turkmenistan and the United States is developing steadily and effectively. A significant impetus for this was the signing of the intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in education in 2023, which opened new opportunities for collaboration between universities, colleges, and research centers of the two countries.