TURKMENISTAN: EDUCATIONAL CORRUPTION EXPENSIVE,

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000808

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/26/2019
TAGS: PGOV PINR SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: EDUCATIONAL CORRUPTION EXPENSIVE,
AND PERVASIVE

Classified By: Charge Richard Miles, reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).


1. (C) SUMMARY: A well-connected local said that all
students in Turkmenistan's institutions of higher learning
are enrolled because their parents paid bribes of up to
$70,000, with few exceptions. While some who accept bribes
for university places work directly in the institution, some
are simply well-placed and possibly function as front men for
university officials. Children of government ministers have
an especially hard time of it, with restrictions on their
studying abroad and the unwillingness of some local schools
to accept them for fear of attracting allegations of
corruption. Turkmen education is very expensive, even if it
is, at best, mediocre. Parents who are able find a way to
send their children abroad for studies. An increase in the
number of university places in Turkmen universities and
institutes would help alleviate the situation. END SUMMARY.


2. (C) Aina Kekilova of Asian Development Bank -- and alumna
of the Commerce Department Special American Business
Internship Training (SABIT) program -- discussed corruption
in Turkmenistan's education sector in a meeting on June 24.
Kekilova explained that the following bribes for enrollment
in selected Turkmen educational institutions are one-time
only fees, not yearly.

-- Gubkin Oil and Gas University: $70,000
-- Polytechnical University, Petroleum Faculty: $60,000
(last year)
-- Institute for Sports and Tourism: $20,000 (two years ago,
$3,000-6,000)
-- Russian School (elementary and high school): $10,000 (two
or three years ago, the bribe was $2,000-3,000)

WHO ACCEPTS BRIBES


3. (C) In the case of the Institute for Sports and Tourism,
an athlete with close ties to the Rector brokers the deals.
(NOTE: Kekilova did not say if the athlete was the Rector's
front man. END NOTE.) Kekilova said that the athelete was
able to get a student into the Institute with the
understanding that he would receive the money later. As it
turned out, he wasn't sure how much the bribe would be and he
continually quoted higher prices. Right before exams in
July, he informed the parents that their bill was $20,000.

WHEN THINGS DON'T GO WELL, PRISON IS A POSSIBILITY


4. (C) There are consequences if parents pay a bribe and the
"broker" cannot manage to enroll the student. The cousin of
Kekilova's husband worked as an accountant at Turkmen State
University and accepted a bribe for either two or three
children totalling $110,000. After she couldn't arrange
enrollment, the parents asked her to return the money, but
she said that she couldn't because she'd already spent it.
The parents went to the authorities, who arrested and jailed
her in early 2009. The court offered to reduce the sentence
if she returned some of the money. She maintained that she
couldn't, and was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

WHO HAS THE WORST PROBLEM: CHILDREN OF MINISTERS


5. (C) Kekilova said that two ministers -- Minister of
Nature Protection, Magtymguly Akmyradov and Turkmen Gas State
Concern Chairman, Baymyrat Hojamuhammedov -- arranged to
enroll their kids in the Turkmen-Turkish University. Soon
after the school year started, the school administration
forced the students to sign letters stating that they
withdraw from their studies. Kekilova explained that
ministers and others in positions of power are under
suspicion in the community for paying bribes, and this
University forced the children to leave because the school
doesn't want to be associated with corruption, even if only
alleged. (NOTE: Kekilova said that she has known Akmyradov

ASHGABAT 00000808 002 OF 002


and Hojamuhammedov personally for over 20 years because they
studied together in the Petroleum Faculty of the
Polytechnical Institute. END NOTE.) She said that Akmyradov
and Hojamuhammedov are now looking into enrolling their
children at the Gubkin Oil and Gas Institute, where most
students have connections to the Cabinet of Ministers.

OVERSEAS UNIVERSITIES OFF-LIMITS TO CHILDREN OF TOP OFFICIALS


6. (C) Kekilova also said that the government does not allow
the children of ministers to study overseas. A
locally-engaged employee at Post said that he was aware of
ministers' children studying overseas as recently as 2002.
He said that restrictions may have been put in place in order
to discourage ministers and their families from fleeing the
country. He dismissed the idea that the restriction is aimed
at curbing money laundering through bank accounts that their
children can open overseas as students and through which they
can funnel money. He said that ministers build up solid
teams of trusted aides who take money overseas. Threfore,
there is no need for the minister's children to ferry money
abroad.

OTHER WAYS OF ENROLLING IN UNIVERSITY ARE DIFFICULT, BUT EXIST


7. (C) Kekilova mentioned that some people, who are
well-known, manage to enroll children in school without
paying bribes, but this is very difficult. And only a few
can enroll without influence or paying bribes. She further
explained that schools practice geographic diversity by
reserving an equal number of student places for each
province. Getting accepted into a university is very
competitive for students from Ashgabat since there are more
applicants from Ashgabat than the provinces. Therefore, some
families pay for fake registration documents in the regions
in order to avoid competing with other students from Ashgabat.


8. (C) COMMENT: Locating a place for one's children to
study in Turkmenistan is truly a serious problem. We have
heard for the past two years tht parents pay bribes as high
as $60,000 to place their children in popular programs such
as law. It is amazing that so many are willing to pay so
much for something that -- considering the quality of
education in the country -- is not worth the price. Perhaps
one reason is the scarcity of seats for young people in
Turkmenistan's institutions of higher learning. Kekilova
mentioned that only about 75 students attend the Gubkin
program, while 250 attended the Petroleum Faculty in her day.
Another reason is that the system is so entrenched. The
best option for adventurous and willing parents -- who are
not Cabinet ministers -- is to send children abroad for
studies. Kekilova pointed that that "it's cheaper to send
your kids abroad." One of her sons studies in Texas, and one
studies in Ukraine. END COMMENT.
MILES