University Partnerships in Turkmenistan

Executive Summary: The U.S. Department of State’s Embassy Ashgabat announces an open competition to implement a program focused on building the capacity of higher educational institutions in Turkmenistan to carry out short- and long-term bilateral exchanges, offer dual-degree programs, conduct and commercialize research, obtain international accreditation, and other activities directed at supporting ongoing educational reform in Turkmenistan. The ultimate goal of the projects is to enable Turkmenistan to become an active member of the global education community, and a viable partner in international exchanges, with an eventual opening of a U.S. branch university in Turkmenistan. The initial timeline for these activities is one year, with the possibility of extension. Please follow all instructions below. Background: Turkmenistan is a post-Soviet state of roughly 5 million people (official statistic) that gained its independence in 1991. The Ministry of Education oversees all educational institutions from kindergarten to university. Turkmenistan has implemented several educational reforms within the last 10-15 years, mostly introducing new subjects to schools and universities (such as those from the STEM field), increasing the use of technology in teaching (such as smartboards and laptops) and adapting textbooks and materials to make them fit better within Turkmenistan’s context. However, the centralized structure of the education system has not changed significantly, with universities continuing to offer highly structured five-year specialist degrees that fall somewhere between bachelor’s and master’s degrees on the western scale. Under the current system, students play a limited role in crafting their own educational process and/or degree. When students matriculate to university, they do so by declaring their chosen specialization. In fact, they don’t apply to the university as a whole; they apply to a specific department. Once accepted, they have no option to drop classes or switch majors. Students also do not choose which classes to take – a specific major has a set list of classes. These rules severely limit students’ academic opportunities and affect future professional opportunities. In the last few years, the Ministry of Education has stated its intention modernize Turkmenistan’s education system, which include several stated priorities: a) Launching a dual degree program together with a U.S. university (bachelor’s or master’s); b) Obtaining international accreditation; c) Establishing a branch of a U.S. university in its capital, Ashgabat; d) Gradually moving all universities to the Western, credit-based system. Turkmenistan’s government is very eager to begin work on these goals and is interested in assistance from U.S. universities in providing expertise and guidance on conducting these large-scale overhauls. The Public Diplomacy Section has worked closely with the Ministry of Education to develop a road map to bring Turkmenistan’s education system closer to the U.S. model, as well as signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Government of Turkmenistan on cooperation in the education sector. The MOU and the road map lay out concrete steps, including inviting U.S. experts on internationalization and education reform, and are some of the first actions that Embassy has taken, together with the Ministry of Education, to help Turkmenistan reach its stated goals. Through the projects described in this NOFO, the Embassy would like to develop a realistic road map to overhaul the education system, bringing it closer to Western standards and accreditation, and eventual establishment of a U.S. university branch campus in the capital city of Ashgabat. The initial project duration is one year, but will most likely be extended, as the envisioned task is multi-pronged and will likely require more than 12 months. Project Audience(s): Turkmenistan’s higher education institutions (HEIs), including universities and institutes, as well as the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan Project Goal: Improve access to quality higher education opportunities in Turkmenistan through adoption of best practices by Turkmen higher education institutions Project Objectives: · Objective 1: Increase understanding of internationalization requirements for universities, the U.S. education system, and best practices among Ministry of Education officials and higher education representatives through training, workshops, and/or short-term exchanges to the United States. o Topics may include: how to establish dual degree and joint degree programs, accreditation requirements, opening branch campuses, etc. · Objective 2: Conduct a general analysis of Turkmenistan’s education system and create a road map that provides clear recommendations to the Ministry of Education on the practical steps needed to advance educational reforms. · Objective 3: Establish a working group of Turkmen Ministry of Education officials and higher education representatives to facilitate collaboration and implementation of recommendations aimed at modernizing and internationalizing the higher education system in Turkmenistan.