British universities are increasingly interested in expanding their collaboration with Turkmenistan, Sarah Chidgey, regional export director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, announced during a meeting with Turkmenistan’s Deputy Minister of Education Azat Atayev on Thursday in Ashgabat, according to the Turkmenistan Ministry of Education.
"A number of British universities, including the University of Westminster, express interest in enhancing cooperation with Turkmenistan and providing higher education services," Chidgey said.
She noted that the successful experiences of British educational institutions in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan could also be applied in Turkmenistan.
On Monday, Atayev met with Denis Waddingham, the director of the British Consulate in Tashkent. They discussed the potential for establishing conditions to administer IELTS tests, an English language proficiency assessment recognized by over 11,000 organizations worldwide.
The message stated that early next year, educational cooperation will be on the agenda of the Turkmen-British Trade and Industry Council. In May, the parties plan to meet at the World Education Forum in London, where they will present a detailed roadmap for collaboration.
Promising areas include dual degree programs, accreditation of Turkmen educational institutions to British standards, and the establishment of conditions for administering international exams directly in Turkmenistan.
Earlier, a Turkmen delegation led by Deputy Minister Azat Atayev held a series of meetings in Washington, D.C., where they discussed cooperation in testing and certification standardization, including standardized tests such as TOEFL, GRE, and Praxis.