The first meeting of the Working Group of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program to improve interaction in the field of vocational and higher education was held in the capital of neighboring Uzbekistan, the city of Tashkent. Turkmenistan was represented at this event by Deputy Minister of Education Azat Ataev and Vice-Rector for Scientific Work of the Turkmen Agricultural University named after S.A. Niyazov Shakymuhammet Shakhiyev. Reported by Viktoria Novikova on Neutral Turkmenistan.

The two-day event discussed challenges related to the development of vocational and higher education systems. Regional cooperation in training a qualified workforce was emphasized. Participants discussed harmonizing mechanisms for developing educational programs to the needs of the labor market, ensuring the quality of education, and continuity of various levels of vocational training. The forum also introduced international benchmarks used by leading think tanks and academia. The achievements of Turkmen universities in the international arena and the digitalization of education were highlighted. The second day focused on strengthening regional cooperation in the field of professional skills needed for climate change-sensitive agricultural development, water resource management, and enhancing green competencies in the CAREC region.