A celebratory conference was held at the Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan named after Oguz han to celebrate the significant international achievement of university – its inclusion among the eight finalists for the prestigious THE Awards Asia 2026.
This information was posted on the 20th of January on the official website of the influential British publication and organisation Times Higher Education (THE), which evaluates universities worldwide across all areas of their activities. According to the publication, the Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan named after Oguz han has been shortlisted among the top universities in the «STEM Research project of the year» category of THE Awards Asia 2026, one of the most prestigious international awards, widely known as the «Oscars of higher education».
As was emphasised during the ceremonial conference, this event was truly remarkable both for the university itself and for the entire academic community of the country as a whole. This is the second time the university has demonstrated such high results in this award – last year it was the first in Central Asia to be among the top 8 finalists in the category «Student attraction campaign of the year».
This year, more than 500 leading Asian universities submitted applications in 10 categories for the award. Ultimately, 80 finalists (8 in each category) were selected from these, representing 17 countries and territories. The list includes the best universities from technologically advanced countries such as Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Türkiye, India, and Hong Kong.
The brilliant success of University named after Oguz han, which also made the list, is a clear indication of the progressive and sustainable development of science and technology in Turkmenistan. The research paper «Converting hazardous waste into high-purity gypsum: a new breakthrough in sustainable materials science», prepared by young university scientists, has attracted the attention of independent experts from around the world.
In his speech at the conference, President of the Malaysian young scientists association (MYSO) Razmi bin Abdul Razak congratulated the university on this great achievement and praised the scientific potential of Turkmen students, noting the existing broad opportunities for future fruitful cooperation.
Next, Sabina Quader, Chief Coordinator for global collaboration and deputy chief scientist for postdoctoral studies at the Japan centre for nanomedicine and innovation (iCONM), spoke via digital video link. The scientist presented a substantive report on the topic «Application of artificial intelligence in nanomedicine», after which she discussed the possibilities and prospects for collaboration in this area with University named after Oguz han.
The conference continued with a presentation by the head of the research project successfully submitted for the THE Awards Asia 2026 award. In his speech, he spoke in detail about innovative methods for processing phosphogypsum waste and producing high-purity gypsum, as well as the gold medals this project was awarded at international competitions in 2025.
Next, young scientists and students, winners of international scientific project competitions, as well as university professors, addressed the audience. In the speeches of the participants spoke with pride and gratitude about the modern conditions and broad opportunities created in our country for the development of scientific potential of the young people, their talents and abilities, as well as successful participation and achievement of high results in international competitions and projects.
