The Turkmenistan Foreign Ministry’s Institute of International Relations turned 17 recently.Though it’s one of the flagships of higher education in the country, the IIR is blighted by the same shortcomings as all the other Turkmen universities without exception corruption and idolatry.
Whoever has connections wields power, and whoever has money enjoys total immunity.This all reflects badly on the country’s reputation.Turkmen.news reports on the inner workings of Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov’s brainchild.When the Foreign Ministry’s Institute of International Relations accepted its first students in March 2008, there wasn’t a whiff of corruption who was there to bribe at that time, as the faculty had been put together from scratch, and horizontal, not to mention vertical, connections had yet to be made?
The institute was created in order to train specialists in international affairs future diplomats, lawyers, economists, and journalists.But everything gradually fell into place.Connections, including family connections, which turkmen.news has reported on extensively, ensnared the institute in the end.We’ll begin at the top with the rectors.
The institute has had three in 17 years.At present the post is held by Gulshat Yusupova (pictured above).She was recommended for the job by the previous rector, Jumamurat Gurbangeldiyev, when he left to become education minister.
At that time, Yusupova was the IIR’s vice rector for academic affairs and was accessible to the students.They could bring complaints to her and share their problems, which she would resolve with the teaching staff as far as possible.
When Yusupova was appointed rector, this flicker of freedom was snuffed out the head of a higher education institution in Turkmenistan is no longer accessible.But the minister is not Yusupova’s only source of support.
Her brother Guych Gurbanseyidov works at the Cabinet of Ministers as the chief specialist in the department to oversee the construction, architecture, and redevelopment of Ashgabat.The post is not all that senior, but for Education Minister Gurbangeldiyev a rector with such a relative is a lucrative and extremely useful person.
Yusupova lacks initiative and dislikes conflict, though, and there are probably many undesirable situations inside the institute.An institute where everyone is their own bossIf you look at the make-up of the IIR staff, they are either the institute’s own graduates from different years, who have no practical experience behind them, or former diplomats put out to grass.
Every one of them thinks they’re a big shot who doesn’t have to listen to Gulshat Yusupova.For example, Berdiniyaz Myatiev a former deputy minister of foreign affairs of Turkmenistan, who kept his job for almost 12 years.
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov removed him from his post at the end of 2023, along with another deputy minister, Vepa Hajiyev.While Hajiyev was sent by the Foreign Ministry as ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Myatiev was “forgotten.” And he such a top-ranking diplomat who had often accompanied Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov on foreign trips and had excellent contacts abroad!
Myatiev considered this humiliatingly unfair and decided to take desperate action one day, but stupidly miscalculated.Berdiniyaz Myatiev (center) sees Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov off in Abu DhabiIn January 2024 Berdimuhamedov Senior left for a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates first to Abu Dhabi and from there to Dubai.
Berdiniyaz Myatiev had the bright idea of seeing Berdimuhamedov off to Dubai at the steps of the plane.He thought that when he saw him the ex-president would remember that he still did not have a suitable position and put pressure on his son.
But the experienced diplomat had overlooked one small detail it was Berdimuhamedov Senior who had decided on the Foreign Ministry reshuffle, not his son the president.He did not appreciate Myatiev’s stunt and he instructed Minister Rashid Meredov to stick him where the sun don’t shine… That’s how former Deputy Ministry Berdiniyaz Myatiev retired on a dishonorable pension to head the center for the study of diplomatic protocol at the Institute of International Relations.
He doesn’t even report to the rector now, but the vice rector.Berdimuhamedov Senior seems to have forgiven Myatiev though.In January 2025, already in his new post, he met the ex-president at the steps of his plane in Monaco.
And though the diplomatic protocol center is far removed from real politics, where an ex-minister might wish to remain, his former career and connections mean a lot in the institute itself and neither the rector nor the vice-rector can tell him what to do.Another institute employee behaves in the same way Bekdurdy Amansaryev, former editor-in-chief of the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper and TDH state news agency, and current editor-in-chief of the Orient news website.
His position at the institute is senior research fellow at the Center for Strategic Studies.He appears in the center only to receive foreign visitors or to be seen at conferences.Senior lecturer Merjen Gurbannazarova has not held any high-ranking position, but she is considered a VIP at the institute.
The thing is that her brother Maksat Gurbannazarov works in the administrative office of the Presidential Administration and Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan.Does the vice rector or even the rector herself want to сonsort with her?
Of course not.But from such a colleague you can be one of the first to find out the way the wind is blowing in the Cabinet of Ministers: what the rumors are, what removals and appointments are in the pipeline…Of course, there are people among the faculty who have earned their reputations over many years of service.
For example, Amangeldy Rahmanov head of the faculty of international relations and diplomacy, professor, a veteran of Turkmen diplomacy, and the country’s first permanent representative at the UN.
Chary Niyazov also used to be an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary, and is now a senior lecturer in the same faculty.Kakajan Mommadov is a former Turkmen ambassador to Belgium, head of the country’s representative office at the European Union and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and is now a lecturer in the faculty.
Nurberdi Amanmuradov is a former Turkmen ambassador to Turkey, Tajikistan, and Ukraine, and is now a lecturer at the IIR.All the former ambassadors at the institute behave as their own bosses.
They all know Rashid Meredov personally, while Amangeldi Rahmanov is also a friend of Aksoltan Atayeva, Hero of Turkmenistan and permanent representative to the UN in New York.The tactics of the ex-ambassadors are extremely simple: to be seen talking to Minister Meredov or Ambassador Atayeva at any conference.
And once she’s seen you with these people, IIR Rector Gulshat Yusupova will behave as though you are the rector too.There will be no criticism or visits to check up on your lectures.
And the former diplomats make the most of this: they decide themselves when they will have classes, how many, and when to take time off.They often make the young teachers take classes in their place, but the teaching hours are, of course, accredited to the maestros.
How can a university be managed in these circumstances?After all, Yusupova only pulls up those over whom she has enough influence.But at least the ex-ambassadors have many years of practical experience to pass on to their students.
Overall, only the faculty of international relations provides quality teaching more or less.And what do the other teachers do?Two of the likely ladsA second vice rector post, the one Gulshat Yusupova left to become rector, has been vacant since last summer, and is coveted in particular by the acting dean of the faculty of international economics, Rahim Bashimov (pictured).
To achieve his goal he even enrolled as a student at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Turkmenistan.And he might have got the job, had he had similar back-up to Yusupova in the person of the education minister.
It might not have hurt that another vice rector, Begench Myatliev, is like Bashimov a native of Mary region, but for some reason it’s impossible to appoint two vice rectors from the same region.
Are they really tackling regional favoritism?Whatever the case, Bashimov has yet to become vice rector.However, there’s nothing to stop people from the same region who hold their current positions conspiring together.
Rahim Bashimov milks students children of big businessmen.It’s not difficult to find reasons to put pressure on them, and when there aren’t any, it’s not difficult to invent them: a badge isn’t straight, they’ve got stubble on their cheeks, they’re a couple of minutes late for a lecture, etc.
With his authority as acting dean, he can twist any situation as though the least carelessness is practically grounds for expulsion: it’s what the vice rector requires… When the poor student begs him to find a solution, Bashimov asks them to give him time, and the next day presents a bill for at least $200 for his services in “settling” the issue with Vice Rector Myatliev.As a result, at only 34 or 35, on an official monthly salary of just 3,000 manats ($150), Bashimov owns a 2022 Lexus ES (state number AU1894AG) and the latest model of telephone.
It’s no surprise to see the latest phones in Ashgabat, but a government number, beginning in 70, is a real status symbol.And Bashimov has got his hands on one (+99365703607).
It’s interesting that in cellphone operator Altyn Asyr’s old databases this number was assigned to the general director of Turkmenistan Airlines, Bayram Baymuradov, but in the 2024 database it was already Rahim Bashimov’s.
It’s not known how that came about: according to turkmen.news, none of Baymuradov’s relatives studied at the IIR.Perhaps Bashimov himself can answer the question, or the general director of Altyn Asyr, Shyhmyrat Shaharliyev, as it’s not possible to reassign numbers without his signature.
Bashimov’s phone number in 2021 database was assigned to the head of Turkmenistan Airlines Bayram BaymuradovActing Dean Rahim Bashimov received a prestigious apartment on Oguzhan Street (formerly Aytakov St) through the Foreign Ministry, but prefers to spend his free time in another of his apartments in the Mir-1 residential district.
Instead of giving money, “passing” students who get caught on his hook sometimes pay for a table for him at an expensive restaurant in the district with the best alcohol and always tobacco for a hookah.
With other students Bashimov has a type of “subscription”: pay up regularly, pander to his whims, and you’re free from hassle for a month or two.Otherwise, after classes you’ll be doing two to four hours of unpaid work or detention in the library.At the same time Bashimov and Myatliev are no great shakes at the institute.
Rahim Bashimov is a graduate of the IIR (like many other teachers) and now lectures on international trade, international financial relations, and the latest computer technology.But to say “lectures” is an exaggeration.
Most of the time at his classes Bashimov shows a presentation on screen, making the students copy the material in their workbooks, without bothering to give any explanations, and sometimes is unable to answer even the simplest questions on the subject.
And the final-year students prepare the presentations for him.The acting lecturer doesn’t even know any foreign languages!Neither English, nor Chinese, nor even Russian.It’s amazing not only how he keeps up his level of knowledge, but how he managed to get a degree, since students have to take language exams.But the IRR has its untouchable students too for example, Shasenem Meylisova.
The academic council led by Vice Rector Begench Myatliev recommended her dissertation on “Relations between the Seljuks and Byzantium” for submission to a competition for young scholars.Not only is the topic of her work far removed from the institute’s profile, the young woman couldn’t answer a single question from the members of the academic council, not even who Constantine the Great was.
Trying to throw the student a lifeline, Vice Rector Myatliev had the misfortune to ask another question: “How is your work of service to Turkmenistan?” The whole room was shocked by the answer: “It might be useful for our work at the United Nations!” But Meylisova’s work went through anyway, because her academic supervisor was Education Minister Jumamurat Gurbangeldiyev no less, and he is the former rector of the IIR!
A conflict of interest?No, not at all…This is the state of affairs today at the Turkmenistan Foreign Ministry’s Institute of International Relations.A selective approach to people, dependence on connections, and corruption are at the root of the institute’s misfortunes.
If the more talented graduates become academics, who will work for the Foreign Ministry?Will they in future beat their wives and speak errant nonsense from the highest tribunes?
What will the state of the Turkmen economy be in the near future if teachers like Rahim Bashimov prepare the next generation of specialists?What personal qualities are these students developing if they have been taught from an early age to buy their way out of problems or bring expensive gifts?Turkmen.news hopes that publication of this story will prompt the leadership of Turkmenistan and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov personally to look into the facts cited and take action to tackle the problems.
At the end of the day, we’re talking about Turkmenistan’s future, about the country’s authority and reputation on the international stage.