Interview: Applicants - 2024: BUILDING YOUR FUTURE STARTS TODAY

As we know, at the comprehensive meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on July 12, important issues of national interest were considered and appropriate decisions were made. According to the relevant documents signed by our Honorable President Serdar Berdimuhamedov during the meeting, this year the admission season for higher and secondary vocational education institutions of the country will last from July 15 to August 26. At present, documents are being accepted from applicants who wishes to study in the velayats of our country and in the cities of Ashgabat and Arkadag. At the aforementioned Government meeting, our Honorable President identified the admission of talented and deserving the young to higher educational institutions, conducting entrance exams in an organized and fair manner, and establishing public control among the main tasks ahead. In this regard, being interested in the preparations for the highly organized implementation of the responsible term, the work being done in this field and the changes that will take place in the new academic year, our newspaper reporter talked to Berdinazar HASHYROV, acting head of the Department of Higher and Secondary Vocational Education of the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan.

- First of all, if you tell us about the preparation for the season of accepting the documents of applicants who wantes to enter the higher and secondary vocational education institutions of the country in the 2024-2025 academic years, the opportunities created for it, and the plans developed by the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan in this regard!

- At the comprehensive session of the Cabinet of Ministers held on July 12, the President of Turkmenistan signed the Decree on approving the plan for admission to higher and secondary vocational education institutions of the country in 2024. In order to successfully fulfill the tasks ahead in this field, the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan is currently conducting the necessary work.

On the basis of the plan approved by the relevant Order of our Honorable President, the season for accepting documents of applicants was launched on July 15, and the work in this field is carried out in accordance with the “Procedure for accepting documents from applicants who want to study in higher and secondary vocational education institutions of Turkmenistan in 2024”. Information related to admission to higher and secondary vocational education institutions (specialities and areas of training, places and deadlines for receiving documents, exams according to professions, etc.) is prepared and published in newspapers, official documents of the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan, as well as higher and secondary vocational education institutions. In addition, the information about the addresses and contact telephone numbers of health care institutions and health centers where medical examinations are held in the velayats, Ashgabat and Arkadag cities for those who wishes to enter the higher secondary vocational education institutions of Turkmenistan in 2024 was shared.

Acceptance of documents from applicants will continue until July 28 at higher educational institutions, teaching, medical and cultural secondary vocational education institutions, and until August 19 at other secondary vocational education institutions. Documents will be accepted at the locations of vocational schools, velayat centers, Ashgabat and Arkadag.

—Applicants for higher educational institutions of our country are accepted for study in professional, bachelor’s and master’s programs. It would be appropriate if you could give a brief description of the features of each of them.

- In accordance with Article 28 of the Law of Turkmenistan “On Education” adopted on June 5, 2021 (the revitalized version), there are two-level and one-level system of training employees of higher professional education in the country.

The first level of higher professional education, which is a two-level system in which training is carried out in the fields of preparation, is defined as higher education that allows you to carry out all types of professional work. Training of specialists under this program is carried out on a basis not lower than general secondary education.

The second level of higher professional education, which is a two-level system in which training takes place, is a master’s program, which is defined as higher education that provides preparation for independently solving a number of professional or management tasks, conducting various types of pedagogical work and conducting research. Training of specialists under this program is carried out on a basis not lower than higher education.

Higher professional education, which is a one-level system component of the training of employees (professional program), whose training is carried out by professions, is defined as higher education that allows to carry out all types of professional, pedagogical, research work. Training of specialists under this program is carried out on a basis not lower than general secondary education.

- Studies in higher and secondary vocational education institutions are conducted on a scholarship-based and fee-based basis. Information on tuition fees may also be interesting for applicants.

— Higher vocational education in various higher vocational education institutions (higher educational institutions) by type (university, academy, conservatory, institute, etc.) and importance (national and regional), secondary vocational education in various types of secondary vocational education institutions, as well as can be obtained in institutions of higher professional education, provided that they have licenses for the relevant educational programs. Therefore, applicants can get appropriate answers to all their questions, including detailed information about tuition fees, from members of the admissions team at the point of application.

— What are the new skills that will be taught in the next academic year and based on what needs do they open?

— “Revival of a new era of a Powerful state: in the “National Program of Turkmenistan’s socioeconomic development in the period 2022-2052”, “In the Program of socioeconomic development of the President of Turkmenistan in 2022-2028”, in order to carry out the organizational measures for inclusion in the international rating of institutions of higher professional education, as well as taking into account the growing economic power of the country and the need for specialists in various fields, new professional fields were opened in several higher educational institutions. In particular, at the S.A. Niyazov Turkmen Agricultural University , in the master’s program of agricultural economics and management, animal husbandry, pedagogical education (Chinese language and literature, Turkmen language and literature), pedagogical education (Persian language and literature, Turkmen language and literature), specialized education (defectology) at the Seyitnazar Seydi Turkmen State Pedagogical Institute. metrology, standardization and certification, seismology and seismically stable construction in the professional program at the Turkmen State Institute of Architecture and Construction; bachelor’s degree in international trade at the Turkmen State Institute of Economics and Management; Technical use of aircraft and engines, technical use of aviation and radio-electronic equipment of aircrafts at the bachelor’s program at the Institute of Engineering and Transport Communications of Turkmenistan; International Arbitration and Business Law at the Master’s Program at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan; At the Turkmen State Institute of Culture, fields of culture studies (skills) were opened under the master’s program.

- As a rule, the number of students admitted to study is increased every year. What changes will there be in this regard in the coming academic year?

- In 2024, a total of 15 thousand 926 applicants (including 15 thousand 303 for professional and bachelor’s programs, 623 for master’s programs) are planned to be accepted as students, which is 303 more than last year (104 for professional and bachelor’s programs, 199 for master’s programs). This is another clear testimony of the successful implementation of educational reforms in the country under the wise leadership of the President, who continues the great initiatives of our National Leader.

- What can be said about the professional fields that are most in demand among the youth in our country today?

- According to the needs of the national economy, a number of professions and areas of training are opened in higher and secondary vocational education institutions, and specialists of the appropriate level are trained in various fields. If the forecasts for the near future, as well as the activities carried out in the field of development of the digital economy in the country, increase the demand for IT-oriented professions, the presence of financial and economic relations in all sectors creates a need for experts in the field of economics and management. Therefore, not only one or the other, but also the areas where specialists are trained for all sectors of the economy can be shown as professions that are more in demand by the youth.

As far as we know, every year the plan for admission to higher and secondary vocational education institutions is prepared on the basis of the orders of the ministries and departments of the country. The needs of ministries and departmental administrations for specialists vary from year to year.

- According to the Law of Turkmenistan “On Education”, what benefits are provided for applicants?

— Orphans and children left under the guardianship of their parents or their substitutes in the Law of Turkmenistan “On Education” of the revitalize type children with disabilities, those with group I and II disabilities who are allowed to study in the relevant educational institutions according to the report of the team that determines the need for support children of military personnel (employees) who died while performing their duties of military and law enforcement agencies it is determined that those from families with many children (not less than eight children) who successfully pass the entrance exams are admitted to state vocational education institutions without competition. Also, in this Law, the winners of the state competition of school pupils in subjects, members of the national team of Turkmenistan who participated in international competitions champions of Turkmenistan, winners of international sports competitions who enter training in educational institutions in the areas (specialities) related to physical education and sports winners of national and international creative contests who enter educational institutions in the creative fields (specialities) of training. Those with group III disabilities those who have passed military service on call; it is stated that applicants with a working period of not less than two years in the field of their chosen training (profession) will enjoy preferential rights when they are admitted to the state vocational education institutions.

— Thanks for your valuable answers to our questions! We wish you success in your work in this important season, and we wish our youth, who are determined to enter higher and secondary vocational schools of the country, to find success in their goals.

”Thanks!”

”TURKMENISTAN”

17.07.2024

Turkmenmetbugat (turkmenmetbugat.gov.tm)