Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT1568
2009-12-07 09:29:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY EXCHANGE
how-toVZCZCXRO9196 PP RUEHIK DE RUEHAH #1568/01 3410929 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 070929Z DEC 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3849 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5957 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3651 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3510 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4199 RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 4141 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1286 RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001568
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN;
ANKARA FOR AGRICULTURE COUNSELOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR PGOV PREL SCUL TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY EXCHANGE
STALLED
ASHGABAT 00001568 001.2 OF 002
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001568
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN;
ANKARA FOR AGRICULTURE COUNSELOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR PGOV PREL SCUL TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY EXCHANGE
STALLED
ASHGABAT 00001568 001.2 OF 002
1. (U) Sensitive, but unclassified. Not for Internet
distribution.
2. (U) On November 27, POLOFF met with the Rector of the
Turkmen Agricultural University, Gurbandurdy Mammetgulyev,
and Chary Taganov, Head of the Academics Department, to
discuss the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded and
organized faculty exchange between the University of Nevada,
Reno and the Turkmen Agricultural University. The first
stage of the exchange program took place in September, when
four faculty members from Turkmenistan traveled to the United
States to visit agricultural universities and research
facilities. During that two-week trip the Turkmen
participants were introduced to U.S. agricultural university
curricula, particularly focusing on agricultural economics.
3. (SBU) The exchange program has stalled, however, while
Post awaits permission for two locally resident US citizens
to teach courses in English language and economics at the
Turkmen Agricultural University. Permission from the Turkmen
Government was initially requested in July, with instruction
meant to begin at the start of the school year in September.
When asked if there was a problem with the program that would
account for the delay, the Rector insisted that he welcomed
the program. However, because the Agricultural University is
subordinate to the Ministry of Education, the program would
need to be approved by that ministry. Mammetgulyev offered
the theory that the piece of paper to approve the US teachers
had gotten lost in a pile on someone's desk, or that an
employee had been replaced and not transferred the necessary
piece of paper to his successor.
4. (U) The Rector of the Agricultural University continued
with descriptions of various programs that the university
conducts with foreign universities and organizations, in
order to prove his point that he was more than willing to
continue this exchange program with the U.S. He said that
his university is participating in three TACIS programs, as
well as programs with Spanish, Hungarian, and Italian
institutions. In addition, John Deere and Case New Holland
have sponsored centers that Agricultural University faculty
use to teach about agricultural equipment. GTZ, the German
Technical Cooperation enterprise, conducted a program very
similar to the U.S. Faculty Exchange Program. 10-12 students
from the Agricultural University took 10 months of German
classes at the University. They subsequently took a test and
the best students were selected to go to Germany for a
six-month long Master's course.
5. (SBU) Both Mammetgulyev and Taganov indicated that these
exchange programs were important to them because they improve
the quality of education for Turkmen agricultural
specialists. The Rector boasted that he made sure all of his
students had hands-on experience, as well as classroom
lectures. He said that 71 percent of the agricultural
education program was theoretical, and 29 percent practical.
He added that the Agricultural University had 25 hectares of
land at the campus in Ashgabat, as well as five institutions
around Turkmenistan.
6. (SBU) COMMENT: Both the Rector and the Head of the
Academics Department seemed genuinely open to cooperation
with foreign universities, including US institutions. The
Head of the Academics Department was himself one of the
participants in the first stage of the USDA Faculty Exchange
Program. Therefore, it does seem plausible that any problems
getting permission for the English language and economics
courses are coming from outside the Agricultural University.
ASHGABAT 00001568 002.2 OF 002
The Rector didn't seem to think his intervention with the
Ministry of Education on behalf of the program would be
helpful. Instead, he suggested that post continue to raise
the issue with appropriate officials in the government,
particularly at the Ministry of Education. END COMMENT
ECKSTROM
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN;
ANKARA FOR AGRICULTURE COUNSELOR
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR PGOV PREL SCUL TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY EXCHANGE
STALLED
ASHGABAT 00001568 001.2 OF 002
1. (U) Sensitive, but unclassified. Not for Internet
distribution.
2. (U) On November 27, POLOFF met with the Rector of the
Turkmen Agricultural University, Gurbandurdy Mammetgulyev,
and Chary Taganov, Head of the Academics Department, to
discuss the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funded and
organized faculty exchange between the University of Nevada,
Reno and the Turkmen Agricultural University. The first
stage of the exchange program took place in September, when
four faculty members from Turkmenistan traveled to the United
States to visit agricultural universities and research
facilities. During that two-week trip the Turkmen
participants were introduced to U.S. agricultural university
curricula, particularly focusing on agricultural economics.
3. (SBU) The exchange program has stalled, however, while
Post awaits permission for two locally resident US citizens
to teach courses in English language and economics at the
Turkmen Agricultural University. Permission from the Turkmen
Government was initially requested in July, with instruction
meant to begin at the start of the school year in September.
When asked if there was a problem with the program that would
account for the delay, the Rector insisted that he welcomed
the program. However, because the Agricultural University is
subordinate to the Ministry of Education, the program would
need to be approved by that ministry. Mammetgulyev offered
the theory that the piece of paper to approve the US teachers
had gotten lost in a pile on someone's desk, or that an
employee had been replaced and not transferred the necessary
piece of paper to his successor.
4. (U) The Rector of the Agricultural University continued
with descriptions of various programs that the university
conducts with foreign universities and organizations, in
order to prove his point that he was more than willing to
continue this exchange program with the U.S. He said that
his university is participating in three TACIS programs, as
well as programs with Spanish, Hungarian, and Italian
institutions. In addition, John Deere and Case New Holland
have sponsored centers that Agricultural University faculty
use to teach about agricultural equipment. GTZ, the German
Technical Cooperation enterprise, conducted a program very
similar to the U.S. Faculty Exchange Program. 10-12 students
from the Agricultural University took 10 months of German
classes at the University. They subsequently took a test and
the best students were selected to go to Germany for a
six-month long Master's course.
5. (SBU) Both Mammetgulyev and Taganov indicated that these
exchange programs were important to them because they improve
the quality of education for Turkmen agricultural
specialists. The Rector boasted that he made sure all of his
students had hands-on experience, as well as classroom
lectures. He said that 71 percent of the agricultural
education program was theoretical, and 29 percent practical.
He added that the Agricultural University had 25 hectares of
land at the campus in Ashgabat, as well as five institutions
around Turkmenistan.
6. (SBU) COMMENT: Both the Rector and the Head of the
Academics Department seemed genuinely open to cooperation
with foreign universities, including US institutions. The
Head of the Academics Department was himself one of the
participants in the first stage of the USDA Faculty Exchange
Program. Therefore, it does seem plausible that any problems
getting permission for the English language and economics
courses are coming from outside the Agricultural University.
ASHGABAT 00001568 002.2 OF 002
The Rector didn't seem to think his intervention with the
Ministry of Education on behalf of the program would be
helpful. Instead, he suggested that post continue to raise
the issue with appropriate officials in the government,
particularly at the Ministry of Education. END COMMENT
ECKSTROM