From 14 to 16 October 2026, the Rector of the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International University of Oil and Gas visited Japan to promote scientific and educational cooperation and expand bilateral engagement in the field of hydrogen energy.

As part of the visit, a meeting was held between the Rector and Keisuke Nagata, President of the University of Tsukuba. The two sides discussed prospects for joint scientific research, specialist training, and the development of innovative technologies for producing hydrogen from natural gas. Cooperation is being advanced on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding on Joint Scientific Research in Hydrogen Energy, signed by the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan and the University of Tsukuba on 7th of April 2025, before the visit of the President of Turkmenistan to Japan.

On 15th of October, the delegation held meetings with representatives of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The delegation also visited Chiyoda Kiyasu Research Park. In addition, the delegation learned about the activities of the Hydrogen Bond Research Center (HBRC) and the TIAR research institute at the University of Tsukuba.

Particular attention was paid to specialist training. Three lecturers from Turkmenistan’s higher education institutions are currently doing an internship in Japan at the Uniýersity Tsukuba under the SDGs Global Leader programme, implemented with the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The visit marked another step in the implementation of the initiative put forward by Hero Arkadag to strengthen the partnership between Turkmenistan and Japan in the fields of science, education, and innovative technologies, opening up new opportunities for joint research and the development of hydrogen energy.