In Turkmenistan the last year was marked with the start of the large-scale reforms initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdymuhamedov to improve and intensify development of the Turkmen state and society. The Turkmen leader’s reform policy prioritizes development of national science, training young highly skilled specialists – a new generation of scientists, who are to ensure the fulfillment of the grandiose tasks.

According the Supreme Council for Science and Technology under President of Turkmenistan, the particular steps were made to reform national science. The first step was establishing the Supreme Certification Commission (SCC). The interim expert commissions have started to examine and certify the research works. A major part of the research theses submitted for certification to the Supreme Certification Commission focus on the actual problems of fundamental and applied sciences and of paramount practical importance. These include development of agro-industrial sector and medical industry, study of the plant life of Turkmenistan, the use of endemic plants and the theses on geophysics, the use of solar energy, etc.

The Supreme Certification Commission made an inventory of scientific personnel and scientific and technical basis of the research institutes and higher educational establishments of Turkmenistan that enabled to compile the database of scientists, to select the scientific centres to open the postgraduate courses and institutions of doctoral candidacy, to establish the dissertation councils, to bring the nomenclature of scientific specialties in compliance with the unified international standards and to prepare the proposals to open the postgraduate courses and institutions of doctoral candidacy at the research organisations and the schedule of admission to the research organisations.

A success of the reforms of national science depends on legislative support. In Turkmenistan the matters related to research activities are regulated by the Law of Turkmenistan “On National Scientific and Technical Policy”. Therefore, the Supreme Council for Science and Technology under President of Turkmenistan is engaged in elaborating the Provisions on scientific personnel training in Turkmenistan. The proposals on drafting the science related laws, in particular the Law “On Research Organisations”, and “On the Status of Scientists” were submitted to the Parliament for consideration.

Establishing the Fund for Science and Technology of Turkmenistan affiliated with the Supreme Council for Science and Technology was an important step to reform national science. The Fund is responsible for funding advanced research activities and development projects aimed at meeting the increasing demands of national economy and developing the approaches to social problems. The Supreme Council drafted the Provisions on financing research activates through the Fund for Science and Technology. The 2008 State Budget allocated 4.4 billion manat for grant assistance to the most important development projects. The national ministries and departments, the customers of research study and technical projects have priority in selecting the particular competitive themes.

The work aimed at professional development and targeted advanced training is carried out in close collaboration with potential customers. Thus, the Supreme Council for Science and Technology drafted the Provisions on clinical studies in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Medical Industry and submitted to the President for consideration.

Thus, advanced training is an important and most responsible aspect of the versatile activities conducted by the specialists and scientists of the Supreme Council for Science and Technology under President of Turkmenistan to fulfill the comprehensive tasks aimed at bringing Turkmen science up to a higher level.