ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, January 29. International cooperation in science and education between Turkmenistan and the European Union continues to grow effectively, Trend reports.
Through the Erasmus+ program, funded by the European Union, robust international relations are being developed between European countries and other nations globally.
The Erasmus+ program, which runs from 2021 to 2027, is designed to improve education systems and train specialists for various sectors of the economy. It places particular emphasis on areas such as active youth participation in public life, the transition to green and digital technologies, and social integration.
The program is coordinated by the Executive Agency for Education, Audiovisual and Culture (EACEA) in Europe.
In 2024, to enhance regional cooperation with Central Asian countries, a positive decision was made to finance the project "Addressing Environmental Issues, Social Needs, and High Governance in Central Asia’s Education and Employment Sectors" (ESGCA) under Erasmus+. The University of Genoa has taken on the role of project coordinator. Turkmenistan's higher education institutions—specifically the International Oil and Gas University named after Yagshygeldi Kakayev and the Turkmen State Energy Institute—have secured participation in this initiative.
Romania, Slovakia, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan's leading universities are also participating in the project.
The project’s main goals are to effectively manage environmental and social welfare issues, train specialists in these fields, develop and improve curricula, foster scientific research and innovation, and cooperate on assessing the demand for specialists. The project will run from December 1, 2024, to November 30, 2027.
The first meeting of the ESGCA project took place in Genoa, Italy, from January 20-24, 2025, with representatives from participating higher educational institutions. The meeting aimed to introduce the project’s participating organizations, discuss its structure and phases, and develop a strategy for implementing master’s programs and innovative solutions.
Representatives from Turkmenistan’s International Oil and Gas University named after Yagshygeldi Kakayev and the Turkmen State Energy Institute attended the Genoa meeting, invited by the University of Genoa and based on a decision from the Turkmen Government.
On January 21, 2025, the Vice Rector for Scientific Affairs of the University of Genoa addressed the foreign delegates, wishing them success in their efforts. Angelo Musai, the ESGCA project coordinator, also spoke, thanking all representatives from European and Central Asian universities and introducing the meeting’s agenda.
During the meeting, Turkmenistan’s university representatives, Gadam Akmyradow from the Turkmen State Energy Institute and Maksat Churiyew from the International Oil and Gas University, presented in English about their institutions and their contributions to the project.
To note, the results of the meeting and decisions made will be discussed in further roundtable sessions, leading to extensive dialogue on the project's progress.