The President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly BERDIMUHAMEDOV:
In the near future, your task will be to form a basis for the Turkmen Foreign Service. You will represent Turkmenistan in different countries and international organizations, in the spheres of foreign economic relations, international information and law. Be worthy of the high degree of responsibility assigned to you, love your country, be proud of it, be patriotic, but at the same time always respect other countries and peoples, their history, culture and traditions. Your mission is to serve your country with the aim of promoting international peace, friendship and cooperation. These high ideals must be your guiding star, your main idea – at school today, and in your professional activities in the future.
On March 20, 2008 the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov issued a Decree on the establishment of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. The main task set before the Institute is to train highly-educated specialists for the diplomatic service of our country. According to the Presidential Decree on the approval of the structure of the Institute, there are 4 faculties:
- Faculty of International Relations;
- Faculty of International Law;
- Faculty of International Economic Relations;
- Faculty of International Journalism.
It consists of six departments:
- Department of International Relations and Diplomacy;
- Department of International and Comparative Jurisprudence;
- Department of International Economic Relations;
- Department of Theory and Practice of Journalism;
- Department of World Languages;
- Department of Social Sciences.
The Institute trains highly educated specialists in international relations and diplomacy, international law, international economic relations and international journalism. The teaching staff of the Institute includes 1 instructor with the degree of Doctor of Science, 7 instructors with the degree of Ph.D., 1 associate professors, 14 senior instructors, 31 instructors and 4 junior instructors.
According to the data of the beginning of 2020-2021 academic year, 53 books, including 37 textbooks, 3 manuals, 5 monographs and 8 dictionaries were published by lecturers of the Institute.
In order to study geo-political and geo-economic, legal, cultural, humanitarian aspects of the “Foreign Policy Concept of Neutral Turkmenistan for 2017-2023”, each Department started to carry out research activities in their relevant fields, in particular, according to the research areas registered by the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan.
In 2009, the Institute began to assist its graduates in employment. From 2009 until 2020, 586 students graduated from the Institute, 88 students graduated with honoured degree. 141 of the graduates of the Institute were employed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan (25 of them work at the Institute), 63 of them work for the law enforcement agencies, 102 graduates work at the economic and finance institutions, 52 of them at the State Committee on TV, radio and cinematography, at the municipal and regional newspaper offices, as well as 228 graduates were assigned to different organizations and departments. Some of them work for the embassies and consulates of our country abroad.
By the 13031 Decree of the President of Turkmenistan on May 31, 2013, the procedure for the internship of the students of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan at diplomatic missions and consulates of Turkmenistan abroad was approved. According to the Regulation, in the period from 2014–2019, 131 fifth-year students of the institute undertook 12-week internship (work experience) in foreign diplomatic missions or embassies, consulates and in permanent missions of international organizations abroad.
CENTERS
In 2016 at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan opened a Training center for the preparation of administrative and technical workers for diplomatic service of Turkmenistan, the training center prepares specialists in the following areas: “Office work (chancellery)”; “Diplomatic mail and correspondence”; “Archive case”. Graduates of the training center after undergoing practical training at the central office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan are sent to work in diplomatic missions, consular offices and permanent missions at international organizations, where they are involved in paperwork (clerical work), organizing the movement of business papers, and developing uniform requirements for documents , diplomatic mail and correspondence, work with courier service, work with diplomatic and archival documents, restoring their original state. Up until now, 86 specialists have been trained in two streams, 4 of them have been recruited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, the rest are working in various ministries and departments.
On September 1, 2017, at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan the Scientific and Methodological Centre on Sustainable Development Goals was opened. The main aim of the center is to provide the timetable of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals of United Nations Organization until 2030 and to carry out scientific and methodological work. The Center organizes weekly courses on popularizing the experience of Turkmenistan on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. These weekly courses actively participated by the members of political parties, public organizations, representatives of mass media and educational system. So, the center is to conduct scientific and practical activities in order to reveal the content of all Sustainable Development Goals by the methodological and practical approach. Practico-methodological recommendations are given on popularization of SDGs among population. An electronic data base is being established in this vector.
On December 20, 2018, an Education Centre on the Priority Areas of Diplomacy of Turkmenistan was opened at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, opening this kind of Education Centre assists in studying on scientifically approach the issues carried out in foreign policy in energy, transport and water management, and universal valued initiatives bring forward by our esteemed President. The main aim of the Centre is to organize training courses aimed on deeply studying specialties and advanced training on the basis of an in-depth study of the foreign policy of the President of Turkmenistan, primarily initiatives aimed at effective international cooperation on energy, transport and water, as well as their successful implementation first of all in energy, transport and water spheres. According to the approved program, representatives of domestic ministries, industry departments, employees of research and higher educational institutions, as well as international organizations are actively involved in the training center extensive work is being carried out among students to clarify the importance of ongoing international activities in the priority areas of national diplomacy.
The educational activities of the Centre are carried out in the form of specialized, optional and program classes. The activity of the center is combined with the corresponding methodological research and practical-applied work. For this purpose, teachers prepare textbooks, teaching aids, articles of a scientific, theoretical and practical nature, and also form an information base in these areas. In order to effectively solve the relevant problems, the center maintains wide international cooperation. The formation of a meaningfully new and active diplomacy of Turkmenistan that meets the high requirements of modern international relations, to take an active position in creating a comprehensive international legal framework for cooperation on energy, transport and water at the UN level, is the basis of the systematic activity of the center. A special electronic section of the training center was created in the digital educational portal of the Institute. The section regularly contains records of lectures and practical exercises conducted in accordance with the approved program, articles, speeches, presentations, electronic data and video materials on energy, transport and water diplomacy.
COMPETITIONS AND OLYMPIADS
Students of the Institute participate in local and international competitions and achieve awards. Since 2010, junior teachers and students actively participate in the competitions among youth on scientific works held by the Central Council of the Youth Organization named after Magtymguly and the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, 5-first places, 9-second places, 8-third places were taken.
Participating in national and international Internet Olympiads, the students of our Institute succeed. In 2011, at the VII International Mathematics Olympiad, held in the city of Ariel of the State of Israel, the student of the Institute was awarded a silver medal; in 2016, at the II Russian Olympiad in Russian language, our student was awarded the title “Winner of I Degree”; in 2018, the student was awarded the title of “Winner I Place” and a gold medal in the Russian Competition in English “Sights of Great Britain”; student was awarded the title of "Winner of III Degree" Russian competition on ecology; students took the First place at the competition in English “English Square”. In 2019-2020 academic year, the student of the Institute was awarded the title of “Winner of III Place” in the V International Internet Olympiad in English “Mastering your English” and also in Russian competition on history “Heroes of Patriotic War of 1812” and was awarded the same degree. On March 2019, at the XIII South-East Europe Mathematics Olympiad (SEEMOUS 2019), held in the city of Devin, Bulgaria the second-year student of the Faculty of International Economic Relations Akmyrat Tirkeshov was awarded a silver medal and on April of the same year at the VI Competition on Mathematics of the universities of Northern states which was held in Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation he gained the second place, and next month on May, at the Open International Internet Olympiad (OIIO-2019) on Mathematics held in Yoshkar-Ola, Russian Federation he also gained the second place and was awarded with silver medal. On 21-27 September, 2019 he attended trainings in Ariel University, Israel and succeeded at the competition, which he took part in winning the title of “Winner of II Degree”.
Our students participated in the Open Internet Competition on ecology held in 2020 and won a diploma and silver medal. The students of the Institute also took part in the competition among youth of the CIS countries named after A.A.Gromyko titled “Young international students”, devoted to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations, at the competition held among young journalists the students participated in writing an article on “Sustainable Central Asia” organized by the newspaper of Germany “DAZ” and were rewarded with certificates. They also participated at different Subject Olympiads held among students of the higher educational institutions on the subjects of Economy, Philosophy, the Chinese language (1; 2 degrees) as well as at the competition in essay writing, organized by the Turkmen National Institute of World Languages named after D. Azady, the goal of which was to raise awareness of people in sustainable development goals.
The United Nations Permanent Mission in Turkmenistan annually holds a competition among talented young people, where students of our Institute performed successfully and repeatedly won the UN Challenge Cup, ahead of students in other higher education institutions.
TRAINING STUDIO
In 2015, a modern training studio was created and opened, in which television programs were recorded covering the domestic and foreign policy of Turkmenistan. Of particular relevance in this regard is the need to ensure the conditions for meeting the growing demand for objective and reliable information reflecting various aspects of Turkmenistan’s foreign policy and our international initiatives. These tasks are served by the TV program “Policy of Neutrality of Turkmenistan”, which has become a good platform for a constructive exchange of views of scientists and diplomatic workers. This program is broadcasted on the channel Turkmenistan in seven languages. Moreover, TV programs “Neutral Turkmenistan in the International News Space”, “the Art of Peace-building” in seven languages on the channel Turkmenistan, as well as TV program “The National Leader and Neutrality” on the channel Altyn Asyr: Turkmenistan are regularly broadcasted. To this end, a TV program titled “Policy of Neutrality of Tukmenistan”, which tuned into a platform for the constructive exchange of views among diplomats, is broadcasted. It is broadcasted in seven languages on the television channel “Tukmenistan”. In addition, the program “National Leader and Neutrality”, is broadcasted on the television channel “Altyn Asyr: Tukmenistan.”
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP
International partnership of the Institute is broadening day by day. Among the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and foreign diplomatic academies and universities of 24 states have been signed totally 26 Protocols of cooperation. Accordingly, corresponding measures were implemented to enhance professionalism of the specialists and train good specialists and further develop mutual cooperation.
In the framework of international education programs, the lecturers of the Institute of International Relations have visited Russia, the Republic of Belarus, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, South Korea, Japan, China, Malaysia, India, the Kingdom of Saud Arabia, Bulgaria, Poland, Denmark, the USA, Great Britain, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Germany, Croatia, Romania, Qatar, Moldova, Lithuania, UAE and participated in training courses in order to develop their professional skills in their major.
HISTORICAL MUSEUM OF THE TURKMEN DIPLOMACY
The museum consists of 2 parts: the history of the Turkmen diplomacy and history of development of modern diplomacy. Among the materials posted on the bookshelves are such types of diplomatic documents and copies of letters, for example, such as a thankful letter from the ruler of the Turkmen state Kunya-Urgench Atsyz to the Caliph Baghdad Muktefi Liemrill in deep respect; a congratulatory letter to Mustandzhit Billyani on the occasion of his accession to the throne of the Caliphate; a copy of the letter of instruction addressed to the Vizier of the state of Shirvani. Four lecturers of the Institute were in Turkey from June 21st to July 4th , 2015 in Osman archive of Istanbul city, from where they brought very valuable copies of such documents related to the Turkmen diplomacy, history and culture, 102 manuscripts from Osman archive of Istanbul city and 27 manuscripts in CD version from Suleymaniye hand-written fund. At the modern part of the museum there are documents and pictures about construction of our Institute, photos of the solemn opening ceremony of the new building of the institute and historical speech of our esteemed President, the origin of congratulatory letter of our esteemed President sent on the Holiday of diplomatic workers of Turkmenistan, moments depicted from international conferences, forums and full information about these forums which were held by the initiatives of our esteemed President, the list of Memorandums signed between our institute and foreign higher educational establishments, books, text-books, manuals written by the professors and teachers of our institute, scientific and research works done at the “Young scientists” competitions held among youth on scientific works held by the Central Council of the Youth Organization named after Magtymguly and the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, books written by our esteemed President and translated versions in some foreign languages.
SCIENTIFIC CLUBS
There are various clubs in our institute. Scientific club “Ýaş diplomatlar” (Young diplomats). The main purpose of the scientific club is to study crucial issues of international relations and diplomacy of Turkmenistan and the countries of the world; accumulation of research experience; development of student research abilities; identification of talented students with the aim of introducing them to scientific activity; development of scientific proposals. The members of the circle prepare scientific papers on pressing international issues, in particular, on transport, energy, environmental, and cultural areas. An analysis is also being made of Turkmenistan’s international initiatives put forward at meetings of the UN General Assembly. The circle contributes to the development of scientific and research skills of students and assists in writing term papers, dissertations.
The scientific club “Ýaş hukukçylar” (Young lawyers). The main activity is the study of key issues of international law and national legislation. The task of the circle is the development of research and student skills. The members of the club together with the teachers of the Department of International Law and Comparative Law share knowledge and assist in writing term papers and dissertations.
The scientific club “Ýaş ykdysatçylar” (Young economists). The main focus of the club is the study of key issues of the world economy and international trade and economic relations. The task of the club is the development of scientific and research skills of students, the development of scientific proposals for the active integration of Turkmenistan into the world economy. Members of the club conduct scientific work on pressing issues of the global economy, as well as in such sectors as finance, energy, transport, ecology, culture and healthcare.
The scientific-creative club “Ýaş žurnalistler” (Young journalists). The main pillar of the club are aimed at the formation and development of writing skills in scientific papers, research work on the topics of the media, training in the organization and conduct of television programs with the improving of creative abilities of students. The main task of the club is to improve the knowledge and skills of students in journalism. During the academic year, competitions are held among the groups of the Faculty of International Journalism under the titles “Preparing the best television show”, “The Most Well-Known Student”, “The Group with the Highest Press Activity”. In the framework of "Young journalists" club operates the library "Umman" ("Ocean"), which is fund replenishing during the curricular. There is also a training studio, the editorial office of the newspaper "Voice of the Young Diplomat", a radio channel "Voice of a Journalist" prepared and broadcasted at the Institute within the framework of the scientific-creative club “Ýaş žurnalistler”. In addition, within the framework of this club, the training studio, the e-newspaper editorial board named “Voice of a Young Diplomat”, a radio “Voice of a Journalist” function at the Institute.
Scientific club “Payhas ve Parasat” (“Reason and Wisdom”). The main direction of the circle is the study of the scientific-philosophical and historical-logical heritage, psychological cultural and traditional principles of diplomacy, the collection of scientific information through the study of the works of world famous thinkers. In order to enrich and expand the cultural and philosophical worldview of students, to increase the interest of members of the circle in science and knowledge, various meetings and competitions are held.
“Lingvo World” scientific club. The main purpose of the circle is to form a deep interest in learning foreign languages, improving language skills, and explaining the importance of language training for international specialists. In addition, the circle traditionally celebrates UN official days, such as International Translators Day, International Peace Day, as well as competitions, meetings related to the official languages of the UN. Members of the circle regularly take part in the Film Days of Foreign Countries in Turkmenistan, held by the Ministry of Culture, watch films in the studied languages, and attend exhibitions. In order to raise the level of students' training, master special terminology, read special texts, express their thoughts during discussions on specialties, competitions in English are held among faculties. “Debate Club” is organized every week by students. During the break-time world news is aired through the radio of the Institute.
SPORT
The Institute of International Relations has created all the conditions for improving health and enhancing students' athletic skills.
The modern sports building, located next to the educational building of the institute, allows students to engage in physical education and sports, participate in competitions in various sports. The sports complex consists of a sports hall for 300 people, a gym for 30 people, as well as a room for board games. Älem (Universe) Sports Club constantly participates in sports competitions between higher educational institutions, and also holds similar competitions at its institute. Students regularly organize trips to the "Health" ramp. Students often organize volleyball and football competitions, inviting their peers from friends and from higher educational institutions to play. Students of the institute take an active part in the sports movement under the motto: "Turkmenistan is a country of spiritual development and a healthy lifestyle." We are proud of the fact that we have a student – world champion in chess studies at the Institute.
DIGITAL EDUCATION
The concept “On the development of the digital education system in Turkmenistan” of the President of Turkmenistan ensures access to an electronic information source of education. In order to implement this Concept, a unified information network was developed at the institute, as well as the Digital Educational Portal. This system contributes to the expansion of the intellectual capabilities of society, creates a unified electronic information space of education. The library of the Institute has created the necessary conditions for the widespread use of electronic literature. According to the Concept on Digital Education, effective work is clearly demonstrated, which has a positive impact on the quality of education and science, the transition to a digital teaching method, which is becoming increasingly popular in the global educational space. The Institute relies on advanced computer technology, interactive teaching methods. Teachers of foreign languages use innovative technologies, audio-video materials, an interactive whiteboard, language labs and visual aids, which helps to improve listening skills, free productive speech among students. In the educational and methodological centers operating at the institute, a tradition has been established of conducting video conferences through direct video communication with specialized higher educational institutions. The base of the educational portal and electronic library provides access to the necessary information. In modern conditions, where the need for a digital economy is growing all over the world, this positive experience of increasing knowledge of the digital system has gained great importance in improving the professional skills of teachers of the Institute in preparing future young Turkmen diplomats, in improving their computer skills and technological knowledge.
DORMITORY
The dormitory, designed for 248 students, has created comfortable conditions for living and recreation. Air conditioning systems in warm-cold modes are installed here, kitchens, laundry are provided.
In “Galkynysh” (Revival) room of the for self-examination are books of the deeply respected President, periodicals, acquainting readers with the most important events taking place in the country and abroad.
