Over 30 teachers and specialists from Ashgabat and other regions of the country were trained by Columbia University experts on social work.

Online training of the Columbia University School of Social Work on the development of the competencies of social workers was organized by the UNICEF Country Office within the framework of the Joint Program of the Government of Turkmenistan and the UN "Improving the social protection system through the introduction of inclusive quality social services at the community level" funded by the Joint SDG Fund. It was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Education, higher educational institutions of Turkmenistan, the Academy of State Service under the President of Turkmenistan, as well as social work specialists from the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Turkmenistan.

The practical course was designed to develop social workers' skills in interpersonal communication and interaction with the public in the process of social work.

Over the course of seven days, the participants expanded their knowledge of professional ethics and anti-discrimination practices in social work and the provision of social services, studied methods of working with beneficiaries and individual groups. They also got acquainted in detail with the activities of international structures involved in social work, such as the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW), which is engaged in the development of education in the field of social security, as well as the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW).

Participants are expected to contribute to the implementation of the specialty of social work in the country's higher education system and to support the sustainability of inclusive and quality social services at the local level.

The School of Social Work at Columbia University in the United States is the first high school for social work founded in the United States in 1898. Leadership skills are honed throughout the institution's programs to nurture leaders who will inspire and create positive change in their environment.

Aydzhakhan Ataballyeva