On March 25, a meeting between the Ministers of Education of Turkmenistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan was held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Jumamyrat Gurbangeldiyev and Ezohon Karimova discussed strategic steps to bring the education systems of the two countries closer together on the sidelines of the presentation of the Global Education Monitoring Report 2026 (GEM Report 2026). This was reported on the official website of the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan.

Key areas of cooperation

The talks covered fundamental aspects of education — from early childhood learning to the training of highly qualified specialists. The parties identified three priority areas:

• Digitalization and methodologies: Active exchange of experience in implementing modern technologies and innovative programs in school education.

• Teaching staff: Joint efforts to improve teachers’ qualifications and exchange best teaching practices.

• Intellectual competitions: Expanding mutual participation of schoolchildren and students in international Olympiads held in both Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

From theory to practice

Special emphasis was placed on developing direct contacts between educational institutions. This will allow schools and universities of the two neighboring countries to implement joint projects without unnecessary intermediaries, creating a unified space for knowledge exchange.

The ministers stressed that the main goal of such cooperation is to train competitive specialists demand on the global labor market. The meeting, held in a friendly atmosphere, confirmed the readiness of both sides to take practical steps that will make quality education more accessible to young people in both countries.

Strengthening cooperation on such authoritative platforms as UNESCO opens up new opportunities for integrating the region’s educational initiatives into the global agenda.

ORIENT