Tashkent (TDI): Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have agreed to deepen their partnership in higher education and scientific research following talks held in Tashkent between Uzbekistan’s Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Kongratbay Sharipov, and Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairperson of the Cabinet of Ministers, Bayramgul Orazdurdyeva.
During the meeting, both sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation between universities and research institutions, with a focus on sharing expertise, launching joint academic programs, and strengthening collaboration in scientific studies.
The discussions also covered plans to expand academic exchanges, arrange short-term internships, increase joint participation in the Erasmus+ program, and develop double-degree programs, particularly in agriculture. The two countries also explored working together to host the WorldSkills 2026 event in Uzbekistan.
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Future cooperation in key scientific fields was also highlighted, including agriculture, desert land restoration, water resource management, information technology, and artificial intelligence.
Orazdurdyeva emphasized that the warm and trusting relationship between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan continues to grow, and reaffirmed Turkmenistan’s willingness to support joint initiatives across multiple sectors.
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At the conclusion of the talks, both parties agreed to set up a joint working group to draft a 2025–2026 cooperation roadmap, aimed at expanding bilateral ties and advancing major education and research projects in the coming years.
