At the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gaz University the opening ceremony of the Luban Workshop in Turkmenistan was held

On April 16, 2026, the opening ceremony of the Luban Workshop in Turkmenistan was held with the participation of Deputy Chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan, ministers of the oil and gas sector, heads of relevant administrative bodies and the university, faculty members, student youth, as well as a state delegation of the People’s Republic of China, representatives of the Embassy of this country in Turkmenistan, executives of the China National Petroleum Corporation, and other distinguished guests invited to the celebration.

Also, within the framework of the scientific and practical conference titled “Turkmenistan — People’s Republic of China: 20 Years of Strategic Cooperation in the Gas Sector” and an exhibition dedicated to Turkmen–Chinese cooperation, an Agreement was signed on the establishment of a joint Turkmen–Chinese Energy Training Center between the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gaz University (Turkmenistan), and China University of Petroleum (Beijing) (People’s Republic of China).

At present, effective relations have been established with countries around the world that show interest in cooperation with Turkmenistan in various fields, as well as with major foreign companies possessing advanced technologies and with international organizations. A clear confirmation of this is the development of effective cooperation between Turkmenistan and China in the oil and gas sector, in accordance with the national interests and priority areas of development of the two friendly states. In this direction, a positive experience has been accumulated over many years of joint work. A visible result of this is the large-scale projects aimed at diversifying the supply of natural gas to world markets and expanding the export potential of the gas industry. Among these, particular note should be made of the Turkmenistan–China international gas pipeline. This project reflects the revival of the Great Silk Road, which for millennia connected the peoples of Europe and Asia, as well as the development of our country’s oil and gas fields.

The aspiration of the two states, whose relations date back to ancient times, to cooperate in the oil and gas sector—and to ensure that this cooperation serves the well-being, development, progress, and mutual trust of our peoples and the region—aligns with the political views of both sides. Therefore, the university is increasingly developing mutually beneficial international cooperation in the scientific and educational sphere aimed at training highly qualified specialists for the oil and gas industry.

In the Joint Statement of Turkmenistan and the People’s Republic of China, adopted on January 6, 2023, during the state visit of the esteemed Arkadagly Hero President to the People’s Republic of China, a proposal was put forward to jointly promote the Luban Workshop project.

In this regard, on October 18, 2024, in the city of Xi’an (People’s Republic of China), a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gaz University, Xi’an Shiyou University, Hebei Petroleum University of Technology and Vocational Education, China National Petroleum Corporation and the China Education Association for International Exchange.

The purpose of the Memorandum is to establish and organize the activities of the Luban Workshop in Turkmenistan at the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gaz University, to train highly qualified bachelor’s and master’s degree specialists in the fields of “Geology and Mineral Exploration” and “Information Systems and Technologies (in the oil and gas industry)”, as well as to conduct professional development courses for employees working at the “International Ltd” branch of the China National Petroleum Corporation in Turkmenistan and in the country’s oil and gas complex.

In accordance with the Agreement concluded between the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gaz University, Hebei Petroleum University of Technology and Vocational Education, and Xi’an Shiyou University on the implementation of the project for equipping the Luban Workshop in Turkmenistan with modern installations and equipment, the Luban Workshop in Turkmenistan was fully equipped with digital resources (computers, software, servers, switches, monitors, etc.) and geological laboratory equipment through a grant provided free of charge by the China National Petroleum Corporation.

At the Luban Workshop in Turkmenistan, specialists from China carried out installation and commissioning works for the equipment and facilities, and also conducted regular training sessions on the use of digital tools and geological laboratory equipment.

The Luban Workshop in Turkmenistan, established at the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gaz University, will contribute to the further development and expansion of international cooperation between the two countries in the scientific and educational sphere, the organization of Chinese language courses, the professional development of faculty members, specialists and staff, the exchange of teachers and students, as well as the joint preparation of textbooks, manuals, and monographs.

In the context of aligning Turkmenistan’s strategy for the revival of the Great Silk Road with China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative, the opening of the Luban Workshop in Turkmenistan—the first of its kind in the country—has important symbolic significance, as it coincides with the year declared as “Independent Neutral Turkmenistan – the Homeland of Purposeful Winged Horses.”

Today, the Luban Workshop in Turkmenistan has begun its activities at the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gaz University.

The participants of the ceremony expressed their deep gratitude to the Hero Arkadag and the Esteemed President for creating broad opportunities for the development of international cooperation in the scientific and educational sphere between Turkmenistan and the People’s Republic of China.

Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gaz University