U.S. AGRICULTURE ECONOMISTS CONCLUDE SUCCESSFUL

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000270 SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB AGRICULTURE FOR GERARD/FREITAS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAGR ECON EAID TX SUBJECT: U.S. AGRICULTURE ECONOMISTS CONCLUDE SUCCESSFUL LECTURES AT TURKMENISTAN'S AG UNIVERSITY REF: ASHGABAT 170 ¶1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet. ¶2. (SBU) SUMMARY: The visit of two professors from the University of Nevada, Reno College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources to teach seminars at the Agriculture University was successful, with groundwork laid for positive cooperation in what is planned to be a long-term relationship. The University of Nevada, Reno, wants to invite a delegation of four or five people, led by the Rector, to the United States this summer and hope that some economics faculty will speak enough English so that they can come to Nevada for the Faculty Exchange Program in spring ¶2010. The Rector recommended that the two sides formalize the relationship with a Memorandum of Understanding. The professors recommend that Post develop a regular economics course at the University, and observed that improvements in the English Language Training program need to occur for the English skills to increase to level necessary for participating in programs in the United States. Johnson and Narayanan established good rapport with the University and the cooperation is a step in the right direction. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (SBU) As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Faculty Exchange Program in Agricultural Economics, two professors from the University of Nevada, Reno College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources visited Ashgabat on February 13-24 to teach seminars to faculty and students (reftel). Assistant to the Dean for Special Projects, Stanley Johnson, and Associate Dean of Outreach and Professor of Applied Economics and Statistics, Rang Narayanan, taught two two-hour sessions per day on introductory principles of market economics to groups of 15 teachers and 25 students. Johnson and Narayanan taught the students presentation techniques as well and on the last day of class the students made presentations, based on what they'd learned, to Johnson and Narayanan and the Turkmen instructors. The Rector assigned the Dean of Faculty to oversee this program, including introducing them to his family in his home, and taking them on visits to the University's model farms and some tourism sights in the countryside. One teacher who attended the lectures wrote a general article on the Agriculture University which included information about the professors' visit, and which appeared on the front page of official Russian-language newspaper, Neytralniy Turkmenistan, below the fold. ¶4. (SBU) Agriculture University Rector, Gurbandurdy Mammetgulyev, answered all of Johnson and Narayanan's questions in an introductory meeting on February 13. After a thorough discussion on the background of the University, Mammetgulyev said in response to a question on major challenges to Turkmenistan's agriculture sector that Turkmenistan "cannot compare its production or yields with that of developed countries. We are probably not well informed about technologies. Over 50 percent of the population lives in the countryside, which is very different from the U.S. model." He added that people are not leaving farms in spite of opportunities in construction, and that "we want people to be successful on the farms -- that is our goal." In a farewell meeting on February 22, Johnson and Narayanan explained that they would like to invite a delegation of four or five people led by the Rector to Washington, a Midwestern university, and Nevada this summer. They would also hope that some Economics faculty will speak enough English so that they can come to Nevada for the Faculty Exchange Program in spring 2010. They emphasized the necessity of staying for the entire semester, which the Turkmen side objected to previously. The Rector recommended that the two sides formalize the relationship with a ASHGABAT 00000270 002 OF 002 Memorandum of Understanding, and said that these programs would be a great stimulus for the students. He asked for information on the curriculum that the faculty would be studying and indicated specific interest in salinity issues and ecological challenges. ¶5. (SBU) Johnson and Narayanan visited the Faculty Exchange Program-sponsored English Language Training program at the University but found that the local teacher was talking too much in the class, thereby not allowing the students -- who are faculty members -- to participate. They recommend trying to find a native English speaker with a more modern approach to teaching English as a second language to teach the course. Johnson and Narayanan also met with a Turkmen-speaking Amcit who resides locally with degrees in economics and a background in agriculture. Because of the dearth of economics knowledge in Turkmenistan -- which their classes could not change in six days -- they also recommended that Post offer more economics courses on a regular basis. ¶6. (SBU) Johnson and Narayanan told Post that the students and faculty were tolerant of the market economics concepts, which were new for them. By the end of the seminars the students and faculty were openly disputing some of the concepts. (COMMENT: It should be pointed out that Turkmen, especially students, are not in the habit of disagreeing with foreign guests. This is especially true when the guests have rank or are older, as both of these professors have and are. But it is also a positive sign that the students and faculty felt at ease to disagree, and that the two sides could engage in discussion. END COMMENT.) They added that the contact and the organization at the Agriculture University was excellent and much improved over previous visits of the Dean of their College. ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: It was not easy for Mammetgulyev to answer the question of Turkmenistan's problems in the agricultural sector because of a cultural norm in which admitting weakness is humiliating. However, buoyed by the President's exhortations to work with foreign scholars, he also knows that the University can benefit from the relationship. Johnson and Narayanan established good rapport with the University and the cooperation is a step in the right direction. Post would like to continue discussions with the Department of Agriculture on the establishment of a regular economics course at the University, and would also like to discuss finding a native English-speaker to teach the course with the Department. This would require additional funding but would likely result in a higher quality educational experience. Johnson and Narayanan said that they would send a draft Memorandum of Understanding very soon, which will be a high priority for cooperation to continue. END COMMENT. MILES