The Palette of Educational Services

At the dedicated platform, set up as part of the traditional annual International Exhibition "Healthcare, Education and Sports in the Era of Revival of the New Epoch of the Powerful State" currently taking place in Ashgabat, a prestigious niche is occupied by pavilions showcasing exhibits from various diplomatic missions accredited in our country, large international organizations and agencies under whose auspices various educational projects and programs are implemented, and higher education institutions from neighboring and distant countries. Most of these institutions have years of productive cooperation with our country. A separate pavilion brings together domestic educational structures, ranging from preschool institutions to higher professional education establishments.

Around each pavilion, the usual lively atmosphere of the exhibition prevails. Delegation heads and members from different countries eagerly share with visitors, including their Turkmen colleagues, essential information about the wide range of educational services provided.

As in previous years, the pavilion of the U.S. Embassy in Turkmenistan traditionally attracts large crowds. The Education Advisor for the United States, Madina SABIROVA, provides comprehensive information about the implementation of the U.S. State Department’s "Education USA" program in our country:

– As part of this educational program, several U.S. universities are participating in the exhibition. Among them are the University of South Dakota, Arizona State University, the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Lake Washington Institute of Technology, Simmons University, the University of Connecticut, Oregon University, Pace University, and Kent State University. I’d like to particularly highlight the latter – recently, a delegation from Turkmenistan, led by Deputy Minister of Education Azat Ataev, visited this institution. The sides discussed the possibility of opening a branch of this American university in Turkmenistan, where Turkmen youth are also studying.

The U.S. universities mentioned above offer a wide range of specialties, from technical fields to the humanities. Each university provides around 150–200 professional training vectors.

In recent years, the University of South Dakota has become especially popular among Turkmen students. This year, for example, the number of young people from your country studying there has doubled compared to the previous period. Currently, another group of applicants from various cities of Turkmenistan — Mary, Dashoguz, Turkmenabat, and Ashgabat — have applied for the January and August intakes. All of them have a good command of English. The results of their enrollment will be known by November.

The representative of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology is participating in the Ashgabat educational services exhibition for the first time. His interest in getting to know Turkmen youth better was sparked by the first student from Turkmenistan to enroll in their institution. The representative of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor is also visiting your country for the first time, aiming to introduce potential students from Turkmenistan to various training programs and scholarship opportunities provided by this American university. One of the prestigious scholarships — the Presidential Scholarship — is awarded to students who score 1390 on the SAT entrance test, providing $18,000 annually, covering the cost of tuition.

Another member of the U.S. delegation, representing Arizona State University, is visiting Turkmenistan for the second time. The university he represents is one of the most popular among young people from Central Asia. It has branches in Uzbekistan, Dubai, Latin America, and several other countries. The university welcomes many students from around the world, and currently, representatives of Turkmenistan are also studying there.

Simmons University, located in Boston, primarily focuses on educating women. Representatives of this university offer five of their best students full funding for tuition and living expenses.

I was taken on a kind of virtual tour of the higher education institutions of the Republic of Belarus by Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, and Head of the Education Internationalization Center of the Yanka Kupala State University of Grodno, Elena BELOKOZ, and Specialist of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus, Karina TKACHUK.

They shared that many Belarusian universities, particularly the Belarusian National Technical University, Vitebsk State University, and Grodno University, which are included in the prestigious Moscow "Three University Missions" ranking, are very interested in actively developing cooperation with our country. As of September 2024, eleven Belarusian universities are included in this ranking. Incidentally, this ranking contributes to the growing popularity of Belarusian higher education institutions among Turkmen youth.

In recent years, a fine tradition has developed: while participating in educational exhibitions held in Ashgabat, representatives of Belarusian universities organize "alumni meetings" with their former students, some of whom, as volunteers, assist in organizing consultations with potential students from Turkmenistan. Another initiative planned during the exhibition is to hold meetings with representatives of higher education institutions offering different programs in our country.

The flow of Turkmen youth wishing to study in Belarus is increasing every year, and this is a direct result of the annual international educational exhibitions held in Ashgabat. For instance, the largest contingent of Turkmen students is currently enrolled at Grodno University. This year alone, about 400 young men and women from Turkmenistan became freshmen at this institution.

As for their choice of study areas, they vary widely — in the humanities, philological and pedagogical specialties are mainly in demand. Design, IT technology, law, and engineering are also popular.

The pavilion of the Embassy of the French Republic in Turkmenistan is grandly represented at the exhibition, where the main exhibit of the French Institute is located. Its director, Romain GOUVERNÉ, spoke about the primary mission of this educational structure. Under the Institute's aegis, language courses are organized. In addition, specialized audiences from various government structures — ministries, agencies, and international organizations — study in these courses under special agreements.

The pavilion representing France also showcases the "CAMPUS FRANCE" agency, which deals directly with providing educational services, further emphasizing the importance of mastering French. At the French Institute in Ashgabat, 400 people of various age groups study French every year.

The International Exhibition "Healthcare, Education and Sports in the Era of Revival of the New Epoch of the Powerful State" continues its work. The "NT" editorial office will introduce other participants from various countries in the coming days.