On September 30, 2024, the delegation of Turkmenistan led by Deputy Minister of Education Azat Atayev held a number of meetings as part of a visit to Washington, D.C., USA. The purpose of the delegation’s visit is to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of education on the basis of previously reached agreements between the two countries.
Thus, at one of the meetings at the US State Department, issues of creating a framework for academic assessments and university accreditation were discussed. The American side was represented by Tammy Palchikov, Deputy Director of the Office of Press and Public Diplomacy of the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. Representatives from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the US Department of Education also attended the meeting.
Discussions focused on the methodology for assessing academic performance and the international accreditation strategy necessary to modernize the education system of Turkmenistan. The issues of organizing educational seminars for administrators and teachers of educational institutions were also discussed.
In addition, the delegation met with Ms. Shannon Litton, Director of Government and External Affairs for the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The meeting took place at the ETS office in Washington.
During the meeting, the parties discussed cooperation in the field of testing standards and certification, in particular in the field of standardized tests such as TOEFL, GRE and Praxis. The possibilities of establishing certified testing centers in the country were also considered.
During the visit the delegation of Turkmenistan met with the leadership of the AC Languages school – General Director Angeles Chavez and Executive Director Dr.Elias Alonzo. The meeting took place at the office of the «Turkmenistan-USA» Business Council. At the meeting, issues of developing partnerships and expanding language learning programs were discussed.
Meetings aimed at the further development of the educational system of Turkmenistan were held in a friendly atmosphere.