The National Office of the European Erasmus+ Programme in Turkmenistan coordinates the implementation of educational projects related to the implementation of the country's priorities in the field of modernisation of higher education, development of an innovative and «green» economy, and the fight against climate change.
In the outgoing year of 2024, the regional project CirculEC was launched, in which Turkmenistan participates. The project aims to build human capital capacity in universities in Central Asian countries on the circular economy in order to provide employees, students and the general public with skills and competencies that meet the needs of local labor markets and environmental challenges faced by Central Asian countries. The CirculEC project responds to the country's strategy and the needs of target groups. As is known, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov is actively promoting the initiative to develop a Global Framework for the Transition to a Circular Economy.
The project also aims to update the current disciplines of higher education institutions within the needs of each participating country. Within the framework of the project, modern curricula will be developed and academic programs will be updated in accordance with international standards. The project provides for a comprehensive improvement of the qualifications of the project specialists of partners, in particular, in Turkmenistan it is planned to train six teachers from the Turkmen State Financial Institute and four teachers from the Turkmen State Institute of Economics and Management. One of the teachers from these universities has already taken part in the implementation of the mobility component of the project.
The CirculEC project aims to modernise education by reviewing and developing new curriculum content to ensure that it meets the socio-economic needs of Turkmenistan and reflects international practice. Its partners in Turkmenistan are committed to implementing all project activities and actively contributing to the socio-economic development of the country.
Activities under two more new European regional projects are planned to start in January 2025. These are the GDCAU project – Green Deal for Central Asian Universities and ESGCA – Addressing Environmental Challenges, Social Needs and Good Governance in Education and Employment in Central Asia. Turkmenistan’s participation in these three-year projects confirms the country’s readiness to develop international and regional cooperation on the green and climate agenda. The projects aim to strengthen the links between environmental challenges, social needs and good governance in the education and employment sectors in Central Asia.
