Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10ASHGABAT212
2010-02-12 13:22:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: ACADEMY OF SCIENCES MEETS WITH
how-toVZCZCXRO2509 PP RUEHAG RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHAH #0212/01 0431322 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 121322Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4251 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 6261 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3935 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3794 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 4505 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 4405 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1486 RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000212
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE, OES
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020
TAGS: EAID TSPL PREL PGOV SENV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: ACADEMY OF SCIENCES MEETS WITH
EUR/ACE DELEGATION
REF: A. 09 ASHGABAT 767
B. 09 ASHGABAT 1600
C. ASHGABAT 47
D. ASHGABAT 170
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000212
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE, OES
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020
TAGS: EAID TSPL PREL PGOV SENV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: ACADEMY OF SCIENCES MEETS WITH
EUR/ACE DELEGATION
REF: A. 09 ASHGABAT 767
B. 09 ASHGABAT 1600
C. ASHGABAT 47
D. ASHGABAT 170
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).
1. (U) Members of the Central Asia Assistance Review
delegation in Turkmenistan met with officials of the Academy
of Sciences on February 3 to discuss current programs of
cooperation and possibilities for future expansion. The
President of the Academy of Sciences, Gurbanmyrat Mezilov,
gave a quick overview of the Academy's structure and
programs, since it had been restructured in June 2009 (Refs A
and B). The delegation congratulated Mezilov on his
appointment in January as President. (NOTE: He had been
Acting President of the Academy since June 2009. END NOTE.)
2. (U) Orazmamed Vasov, head of the International Relations
Department, described several of the "most successful and
useful" projects, including two training centers, established
jointly with two USAID projects. The International Financial
Reporting Standards Center conducts financial reporting
standards training for Central Bank employees, as well as
economics training for professors and other programs. The
Center for Interactive and Multimedia Learning trains school
teachers in the use of multimedia devices like interactive
blackboards. Vasov also noted that Academy of Sciences'
staff had highly valued the exchanges in which they
participated. The USAID Community Connections program sent
three Turkmen scholars to the United States to learn about
alternative energy, which is a priority for Turkmenistan
President Berdimuhamedov. Mezilov talked about the upcoming
February alternative energy conference (Ref C) as a mechanism
for dialogue with neighbors on climate change and regional
energy issues. He said that over 30 governments would
participate and noted this as a mark of Turkmenistan's
cooperation with other countries.
3. (SBU) In response to questions about Internet usage in
schools, Vasov mentioned that the Academy of Sciences formed
a "National Research and Education Network" that currently
links 69 education and research institutions, including 27
schools. This network allows schools to link to each other
and to connect to high speed Internet. Other schools not yet
on the network can connect to the Internet through the local
telephone company, Turkmen Telecom. Mezilov emphasized that
introducing high technology in all spheres is a presidential
priority. The Turkmen Government is already beginning
initiatives such as installing multimedia boards in all
university and school classrooms, and circulating documents
electronically instead of on paper.
4. (SBU) When asked for other areas of possible cooperation,
Vasov answered that the Academy of Sciences is looking for
more foreign language training. He said demand for English
language training is high, because it is the language of
exchanges of scientific information. In order to attract
more attention to the Academy of Sciences from abroad, the
Academy's website (www.science.gov.tm) is in English, as well
as Turkmen and Russian.
5. (C) COMMENT: Mezilov and the staff at the Academy of
Sciences appeared to view the Academy as on a par with any
international scientific institution, which may in part
explain why they did not seem excited about the idea of
solving regional problems with the other Central Asian
states. They would rather work with the United States, South
Korea, and other developed countries. Although Mezilov
insisted that interest in the sciences is increasing every
ASHGABAT 00000212 002 OF 002
year and that they have three times more applicants for
research programs this year than last, other EMBASSY contacts
say that the science programs in Turkmenistan have been
severely limited by constrained budgets and lack of knowledge
of Russian or other world languages (Ref D). The Academy of
Sciences is taking steps that will improve scientific
knowledge in Turkmenistan, but Mezilov's answers showed that
there is still a lot of room for programs that train people
to use the new technology that the government is installing.
END COMMENT.
CURRAN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EUR/ACE, OES
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020
TAGS: EAID TSPL PREL PGOV SENV TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: ACADEMY OF SCIENCES MEETS WITH
EUR/ACE DELEGATION
REF: A. 09 ASHGABAT 767
B. 09 ASHGABAT 1600
C. ASHGABAT 47
D. ASHGABAT 170
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).
1. (U) Members of the Central Asia Assistance Review
delegation in Turkmenistan met with officials of the Academy
of Sciences on February 3 to discuss current programs of
cooperation and possibilities for future expansion. The
President of the Academy of Sciences, Gurbanmyrat Mezilov,
gave a quick overview of the Academy's structure and
programs, since it had been restructured in June 2009 (Refs A
and B). The delegation congratulated Mezilov on his
appointment in January as President. (NOTE: He had been
Acting President of the Academy since June 2009. END NOTE.)
2. (U) Orazmamed Vasov, head of the International Relations
Department, described several of the "most successful and
useful" projects, including two training centers, established
jointly with two USAID projects. The International Financial
Reporting Standards Center conducts financial reporting
standards training for Central Bank employees, as well as
economics training for professors and other programs. The
Center for Interactive and Multimedia Learning trains school
teachers in the use of multimedia devices like interactive
blackboards. Vasov also noted that Academy of Sciences'
staff had highly valued the exchanges in which they
participated. The USAID Community Connections program sent
three Turkmen scholars to the United States to learn about
alternative energy, which is a priority for Turkmenistan
President Berdimuhamedov. Mezilov talked about the upcoming
February alternative energy conference (Ref C) as a mechanism
for dialogue with neighbors on climate change and regional
energy issues. He said that over 30 governments would
participate and noted this as a mark of Turkmenistan's
cooperation with other countries.
3. (SBU) In response to questions about Internet usage in
schools, Vasov mentioned that the Academy of Sciences formed
a "National Research and Education Network" that currently
links 69 education and research institutions, including 27
schools. This network allows schools to link to each other
and to connect to high speed Internet. Other schools not yet
on the network can connect to the Internet through the local
telephone company, Turkmen Telecom. Mezilov emphasized that
introducing high technology in all spheres is a presidential
priority. The Turkmen Government is already beginning
initiatives such as installing multimedia boards in all
university and school classrooms, and circulating documents
electronically instead of on paper.
4. (SBU) When asked for other areas of possible cooperation,
Vasov answered that the Academy of Sciences is looking for
more foreign language training. He said demand for English
language training is high, because it is the language of
exchanges of scientific information. In order to attract
more attention to the Academy of Sciences from abroad, the
Academy's website (www.science.gov.tm) is in English, as well
as Turkmen and Russian.
5. (C) COMMENT: Mezilov and the staff at the Academy of
Sciences appeared to view the Academy as on a par with any
international scientific institution, which may in part
explain why they did not seem excited about the idea of
solving regional problems with the other Central Asian
states. They would rather work with the United States, South
Korea, and other developed countries. Although Mezilov
insisted that interest in the sciences is increasing every
ASHGABAT 00000212 002 OF 002
year and that they have three times more applicants for
research programs this year than last, other EMBASSY contacts
say that the science programs in Turkmenistan have been
severely limited by constrained budgets and lack of knowledge
of Russian or other world languages (Ref D). The Academy of
Sciences is taking steps that will improve scientific
knowledge in Turkmenistan, but Mezilov's answers showed that
there is still a lot of room for programs that train people
to use the new technology that the government is installing.
END COMMENT.
CURRAN