The Institute of Engineering-Technical and Transport Communications of Turkmenistan hosted a competition on STEM education methods among instructors of higher and secondary vocational educational institutions of engineering profile.
As part of the competition, educators from across the country presented their methodological developments in the field of STEM education by conducting open lessons on nanotechnology, chemical engineering, energy, biotechnology, agriculture, information and communication systems, computer technologies and innovation economics.
According to the rules of the competition, classes were conducted using interactive and digital teaching tools, as well as sets of visual materials, auxiliary equipment and other items relevant to the topic.
The jury, composed of leading specialists and experts in the fields of education and engineering, evaluated the participants’ presentations based on criteria such as relevance, practical significance, effectiveness of digital tool integration and originality of the methodological developments presented.
As a result of the competition, first place was awarded to Meryem Gurbanberdiyeva, a lecturer at the Oguz Han Engineering and Technology University of Turkmenistan. According to the jury, her methodological work became a vivid example of how effectively theoretical knowledge can be integrated with practical skills within the framework of STEM education.
Second place was shared by Serdar Meredov, an instructor at the Turkmen Agricultural Institute, and Mirjan Sharipov, an instructor at the Institute of Engineering-Technical and Transport Communications of Turkmenistan.
Third place went to Dunyagozel Charyeva (Y. Kakayev International University of Oil and Gas), Arzygul Hydyrova (S. A. Niyazov Turkmen Agricultural University) and Tavus Mamedova (State Energy Institute of Turkmenistan).
The winners were awarded diplomas and valuable gifts from the Institute of Engineering-Technical and Transport Communications of Turkmenistan.
The best methodological developments presented by the instructors — those demonstrating a deep understanding of modern requirements for training engineering personnel — will be recommended for study and dissemination in engineering universities and vocational schools across the country.
Teachers from 11 higher and secondary vocational educational institutions of Turkmenistan took part in the competition.
The competition was held within the framework of the action plan outlined in the Roadmap for the Phased Implementation of STEM Teaching Methods in Engineering Universities for 2025, approved by the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan.
The main goal of the competition is to stimulate innovation and identify best pedagogical practices in the field of STEM education, introduce new types and methods of teaching, facilitate the exchange of experience among educators, and integrate modern digital technologies into the educational process.
Additionally, the competition was preceded by a plenary session attended by professors, instructors and students of the educational institutions involved in the event. During the session, reports were presented on the large-scale work and achievements in the education system.
Speakers highlighted the continuous expansion of educational opportunities for students across the country through the use of modern digital information and communication technologies, the successful improvement of teaching methods, the formation of practice-oriented skills among young people, and the active collaboration of Turkmen universities with leading foreign universities and research centers in the fields of science and education.
Special emphasis was placed on the importance of work aimed at studying and integrating the STEM methodology into the educational process — a methodology based on the integration of scientific, technical, engineering and mathematical disciplines and their interconnected teaching. This work is being actively carried out in engineering-profile universities in line with the objectives set in the Roadmap for the phased implementation of STEM teaching methods, which is intended to help develop key professional skills among students, technological literacy and the ability to work with modern technologies.
