The Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan hosted a round table on the topic "Innovative economy and startup ecosystem" with the participation of representatives of higher and secondary vocational educational institutions, as well as members of the Union of Economists Turkmenistan.
The event was held in order to fulfill the instructions the National Leader of the Turkmen people, announced on September 24 at the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan. These include the creation of modern educational institutions and technology centers in priority areas of science and innovation, as well as the development of effective methods to strengthen scientific-educational and industrial interrelationships in higher educational institutions.
In this regard, the main attention of the participants of the round table was focused on the development of the startup ecosystem and the innovative economy, improving educational programs taking into account the current needs of the labor market.
The issues of supporting students' entrepreneurial initiatives and creating conditions for the successful integration of science, education and production were considered. In addition, the discussions focused on the topic of modern challenges related to the fourth Industrial revolution and the introduction of artificial intelligence in all areas of the economy. The participants emphasized that in the context of rapid technological changes, it is critically important to predict the needs of the labor market in skills and professions.
In continuation of the topic, the recommendations of the International labor organizations aimed at adapting educational systems to the requirements of the future. It was noted that in order to successfully train specialists, it is necessary to study the experience of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Turkmenistan, which analyzes and evaluates the needs of the labor market. Focusing educational programs on these forecasts will be the key to the formation of relevant qualifications.
The meeting presented reports on the international experience in the development of startup ecosystems at universities and proposed mechanisms for their adaptation in Turkmenistan. The participants made proposals to strengthen the interaction of educational institutions with production, as well as the introduction of a dual education system that allows students to combine theoretical training with practical training at enterprises. Considerable attention was paid to the issues of legal and financial support for young entrepreneurs, including the provision of preferential loans and registration of patents.
In conclusion, it was emphasized that the results of the round table will become the basis for the formation of new educational initiatives aimed at developing an innovative economy, a startup ecosystem and training in-demand specialists. In order to fulfill the instructions of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan is working on the preparation of a draft Strategy for the development of higher education in Turkmenistan for 2026-2052, which will be submitted for consideration at the next meeting of the Halk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan. The development of the document will take into account all the proposals put forward at the round table, as well as international best practices.
The draft strategy will include key areas of modernization of the educational process, including the creation of innovative educational centers and laboratories at universities, strengthening the integration of science and industry, the introduction of flexible curricula focused on forecasts of labor market development, interaction with employers and the participation of educational institutions in the transformation of the country's economy in the context of global changes, and others.
