The ceremony of signing Agreements with the structure of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization on the establishment of UNESCO chairs at the Makhtumkuli Turkmen State University “Cultural Heritage: from the past to the Future” and at the Seyitnazar Seydi Turkmen State Pedagogical Institute “Environmental Education for Sustainable Development” took place in the capital today.
The event, held via a digital system in the conference hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was attended by UNESCO Deputy Director General Stefania Giannini, Executive Secretary of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO, heads of relevant ministries and universities.
As it was noted, increasing cooperation with the world’s states, international organizations, and especially with the United Nations and its specialized structures, including UNESCO, is given great importance as one of the most important directions of the foreign policy strategy of independent neutral Turkmenistan.
The initiative to open UNESCO chairs in universities of our country belongs to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslakhaty Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
Issues related to the opening of UNESCO chairs at Makhtumkuli TSU and S.Seidi TSPI were discussed during the meetings of the National Commission for UNESCO held on January 29 and April 23, 2022, as well as on February 6, 2023.
With the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO and representatives of universities, draft agreements on the opening of UNESCO chairs were prepared, which were then proposed for consideration at the headquarters of this Organization, located in Paris of the French Republic.
After signing the documents by UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay, their electronic copies were received by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan. Today, in accordance with the Order of the President of Turkmenistan, the originals of the Agreements were signed by the Rector of TSU and the Rector of TSPI.
This fact is a clear evidence that in the era of the Revival of a new epoch of a powerful state under the far-sighted leadership of President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, all conditions are being created to increase fruitful cooperation with major international organizations.
In this regard, it should be recalled that as part of the ongoing work on the opening of UNESCO chairs, with the joint participation of the National Commission of Turkmenistan for UNESCO and university teams, “Languages of the World” and “Culture of Peace” UNESCO clubs were opened at the Dovletmammet Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages and the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.
The creation of these clubs is of great importance, first of all, from the standpoint of the comprehensive formation and development of creative and search activities, knowledge about cultural values, traditions and customs of their country in the youth environment.
The activities of UNESCO clubs foster the expansion of students’ worldview, the improvement of language experience. They coordinate the work on the implementation of the state policy in the field of youth policy. In accordance with the approved plans, lectures, open lessons, scientific conferences are held, competitions and exhibitions are organized.
The creation of UNESCO chairs will also facilitate the education of young people on the basis of universal and national values, the expansion of their knowledge on ecology and environmental protection, the development of environmental education and culture.
These will not be ordinary departments, but large-scale international educational and research centers that differ from traditional educational processes of universities in terms of content and forms of work. Also, these educational units will play a major role in the exchange of experience, knowledge and information on the whole range of issues related to higher education and the development of science.
The creation of UNESCO chairs in Turkmen universities is of particular importance in the context of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s cooperation with UNESCO in 2023.
