Representatives of Turkmenistan’s Education System Participate in the U.S. Department of State’s “International Visitor Leadership Program” (IVLP)

As part of the U.S. Department of State’s “International Visitor Leadership Program” (IVLP), representatives of Turkmenistan’s education system, including staff from Magtymguly Turkmen State University, the University for Humanities and Management, the Turkmen Institute of Telecommunications and Informatics, and the National Institute of Education of Turkmenistan, are on a working visit to the United States to attend the training program titled “Higher Education Management: Collaboration and Commercialization,” held from December 2 to 20, 2024.

On December 2, 2024, a meeting was held at the International Education Institute building in Washington, D.C., attended by Ms. Chiquita Jackson, a specialist from the State Department, Mr. Chris Hill, program director at the International Education Institute, and Ms. Cierra DePalmo, the program coordinator. Participants were thoroughly briefed on the training program’s content, and possibilities for adjusting the schedule to meet participants’ preferences were discussed. Each member of Turkmenistan’s delegation was given the opportunity to introduce themselves and their institutions in detail. The Turkmen delegation provided a comprehensive overview of their institutions’ work and outlined their future goals to the American side.

In the afternoon, Professor Diane Lowenthal of American University conducted a briefing on federalism to provide the delegation with a deeper understanding of the U.S. governmental structure. The briefing covered the division of powers between the federal government (central government) and individual states, highlighting that this system allows states to maintain a certain degree of autonomy and oversee many issues that do not impact the entire country. The peculiarities of the U.S. electoral system were also discussed. While the main part of the meeting had an educational focus, it was noted that there were also discussions and debates during the session.

Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan