As part of its official visit to the USA, a Turkmen delegation visited Montana State University Billings, aiming to expand practical cooperation in the field of education. The visit follows the framework of the Intergovernmental Memorandum of Understanding on Education Cooperation, signed in 2023 between the Government of Turkmenistan and the Government of the United States, which laid out the structure, mechanisms, and a shared roadmap for joint efforts.

During the visit, productive meetings were held with the university’s Chancellor, Provost, and Deans, followed by a guided tour of academic departments. Discussions focused on practical formats for collaboration in business education, healthcare and nursing, information technologies, and pedagogy. The sides outlined plans to launch joint short-term courses in data analytics, financial literacy, and project management, utilize real-world case studies involving regional companies, exchange faculty for simulation-based teaching and joint clinics, develop “micro-tracks” in applied programming and basic cybersecurity with credit transfer options, as well as co-teach online lessons and “class-to-class” modules in elementary education and English language instruction. The university expressed support for the joint use of the Canvas LMS platform of Montana State University as a shared educational space for co-teaching, course templates, and progress tracking.

During the meetings, the Deputy Minister of Education of Turkmenistan Azat Atayev presented an overview of achievements during the years of independence, especially in the context of the 30th anniversary of the country’s permanent neutrality. Key developments included the modernization of academic programs in line with international quality standards, advancement of digital education and infrastructure, increased research activity, and growing participation of Turkmen universities in international rankings. Special attention was given to comprehensive support for youth under the leadership of the esteemed President of Turkmenistan and the National Leader of the Turkmen people: since 2011, every first-grade student has received a laptop loaded with educational content, with over two million devices distributed to date. Language and STEM training opportunities continue to expand, and new practice-oriented learning formats are being introduced.

It was emphasized that permanent neutrality has become a solid foundation for open and mutually beneficial international cooperation in education, science, and technology.

Both sides expressed their readiness to swiftly translate agreements into action—formalizing memoranda and work plans, assigning joint teams, coordinating pilot module schedules, academic exchanges, and summer schools, and employing shared monitoring tools to track tangible outcomes, from course participation and completion to competitive applications, publications, and implementation of innovative educational solutions. Reports The Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan.

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