During the recent official visit by President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov to Turkmenistan, an extensive package of documents was signed by the two countries to enhance and promote the Kyrgyz-Turkmen bilateral cooperation in various areas, including humanities education, science and technology, and culture.

Among the documents is the Memorandum of Understanding between the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Academy of Civil Service under the President of Turkmenistan, whose main objective is to carry out programs and activities as follows:

• joint educational and research activities;
• collaboration with teachers and research fellows on research activities, lectures, and discussions;
• participation in seminars, training workshops, round tables, and research-and-practice conferences;
• exchange of academic materials, publications and other information, and provision of short-term training programs.

Fostering the development of digital education, one of the major aspects of state policy, is a top-priority area of cooperation. The two Academies are planning to combine efforts to improve digital transformation methods in higher education.

At present, a number of leading academic institutions in EU, CIS and Central Asian countries are seeking to design and launch Master’s degree programs, regarding them as a key and much-sought-after component. Among them are Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree programs preparing highly-qualified professionals in the field of public management.

The MPA Program aims to develop a set of research, managerial and professional skills and to provide mid-level and top managers with practical know-how in long-range strategic planning.

One of the significant advantages of the MPA Program is its strong emphasis on applied knowledge. To this end, experts with a wealth of practical experience are actively engaged in the teaching process. The Program also offers advanced training courses for civil servants.

Notably, the Academy of Civil Service boasts a history of effective partnership with the Academy of Public Administration of the Republic of Belarus in compliance with the Memorandum signed in 2010.

The Academy of Civil Service of Turkmenistan and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) designed the Master’s Program in Digital Management (which includes thematic modules), prepared educational resources and trained key teaching staff as part of the joint project ‘Support to the Civil Service Academy under the President of Turkmenistan for 2017-2020’ implemented with the assistance of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Belarus.

The Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic is the only higher-education institution in Kyrgyzstan that specializes in training administrative personnel for government agencies and local authorities of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The Academy has been effectively using innovative Master’s Programs in State and Municipal Management, Economics and Management, developed in compliance with state educational standards and best practices of France’s École Nationale d'Administration (ÉNA) (National School of Administration), Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (Singapore), Graduate School of Public Administration at Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia), the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs (USA), the Bavarian School of Public Policy (Germany), and a number of other world’s leading institutions.

Plenty of mid- and top-level executives, members of the national parliament and local authorities, heads of enterprises, organizations and institutions, specialists in the socio-economic and cultural and humanitarian fields, and diplomatic corps officials, representing interests of Kyrgyzstan in the international arena, are among those who studied at the Academy.

One of the important development trends in the education sector in the context of globalization is digitalization of teaching and learning processes and the introduction of foreign practices and expertise.

Digitalization of education has brought about dramatic positive changes to all spheres of the sector. Not only do new academic programs incorporate special knowledge and information, but also focus on achieving specific goals, encouraging students and master’s degree candidates to put their creativity and logical thinking to work, to learn to work individually and as part of a team, as well as to set and accomplish operational, tactical and strategic management objectives.

Hajimurat Pirmuhamedov 
Senior lecturer (Department of Economics and Finance) at the Academy of Civil Service under the President of Turkmenistan