TECHNOLOGY, SCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND FOREIGN

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 001603 SIPDIS DEPT FOR SCA/CEN, DEPT FOR SCA/PPD E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV SOCI TX SUBJECT: TECHNOLOGY, SCIENCE, EDUCATION, AND FOREIGN ENTANGLEMENTS - A UNESCO EDUCATION CONFERENCE IN TURKMENISTAN Classified By: Charge Sylvia Reed Curran, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: From December 1-3, the PD Section co-sponsored with UNESCO, UNICEF, the Turkmen Academy of Sciences, and Ministry of Education (MOE) a three-day conference on education, science, and the use of information communication technologies (ICT) in these spheres. The conference was opened by Deputy Chairman Hydyr Saparlyev and attended by the President of the Academy of Sciences, the Deputy Minister of Education, Rectors and Deputy Rectors from each of the 15 universities and institutes in Turkmenistan, and various researchers and bureaucrats. USAID, the PD Section, and Fulbright Scholar Melda Yildiz presented various topics during the conference. As the conference was held in the still very new Awaza Tourist Zone, participants were together day and night, offering U.S. participants unprecedented access to MOE and Academy of Science officials. END SUMMARY "WE WANT YOUR HELP!" - UNIVERSITY RECTORS AND ACADEMICS ¶2. (C) During multiple sideline conversations, Rectors and Deputy Rectors from various institutions approached the PAO in hope of developing cooperative programs. They expressed a desire to collaborate with U.S. scientists and academics, bring U.S. technology into classrooms, access U.S. academic journals, and expand U.S. English language programming. The Deputy Rector of the Institute of Transport and Communication, the institute responsible for training computer and engineering technicians, cornered the PAO and explained "we have this brand new, big, beautiful building, but we don't know what to do, we need your help." He asked for U.S. experts to come work with the Institute, and to have access to U.S. technology companies and journals. ¶3. (C) The Director of the newly established National Institute of Education (NIE) expressed a similar hope for cooperation. The NIE is the newly formed centralized training and standards center within the GOTX. During a conversation with the PAO, the Director of the NIE asked if he could send groups of Turkmen English language teachers to PD's Information Resource Center to gain "enhanced English language teaching techniques." He also said that they have a nice new building but limited internet access and almost no laboratories for teachers to practice using the new technology being made available in some schools. "WE'RE NOT INTERESTED IN STARTING ANYTHING NEW WITH THE U.S." - THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ¶4. (C) In almost direct contrast to the hopes and wishes of educators and academics, the Director of the International Department of the MOE, Nury Bayramov, was dismissive of expanding international cooperation too quickly. (COMMENT: The Embassy has a long and storied relationship with Mr. Bayramov. He has been at the center of almost all of the problems that the Embassy has experienced in the education sphere over the past many years. END COMMENT.). During a quiet dinner meeting, Mr. Bayramov told the PAO that "we're not interested in starting anything new with the United States." Throughout the public course of the conference, Mr. Bayramov repeatedly ignored U.S. programs when outlining the many international programs that the MOE manages. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: Despite pessimism from Mr. Bayramov, the interest from MOE and Academy of Sciences leaders and academics is encouraging. The Academy of Sciences is independent from the MOE and is working successfully with PD and USAID in several programs. It could be possible to continue to leverage the Academy of Sciences to expand cooperation in the higher education sector or on projects that could be labelled as "science." END COMMENT. CURRAN