Academic Recognition of Turkmenistan’s Foreign Policy: Conference at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
On September 18, a special conference was held at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan to mark the awarding of the title of Honorary Doctor of Political Science to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov by Sungkyunkwan University—one of the world’s oldest educational institutions.
The event evolved into a substantive professional dialogue regarding the country’s place in the modern international system, where academic recognition was seamlessly intertwined with the pragmatic aspects of its foreign economic policy.
In his opening remarks, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov set the tone for the gathering, emphasizing that the decision by this prestigious Korean academic and educational institution reflects not only the personal achievements of the Head of State but also the growing weight of Turkmenistan’s policy on the international stage.
This academic event served as a fitting backdrop for subsequent presentations by experts ranging from distinguished diplomats and agency heads to young scholars. Aksoltan Atayeva, Head of the Department of Peace and Neutrality at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (IIR MFA); Chinar Rustemova, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for UNESCO; and Allaberdi Ashirov, President of the Academy of Sciences, successively outlined how the concept of neutrality is currently evolving into concrete international mechanisms.
The conference context was further enriched by addresses from Minister of Education Jumamyrat Gurbangeldiyev and the rectors of the country’s leading universities, as well as a student greeting delivered in Korean—a gesture that vividly demonstrated the depth of educational ties between Ashgabat and Seoul.
The event at the IIR MFA presented a cohesive picture: Turkmenistan is shaping a foreign policy in which international academic recognition and UN peacekeeping initiatives are underpinned by sound economic planning, digitalization, and the development of modern institutions.
