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The effort is part of Kent State’s ongoing commitment to using education to foster global understanding and peace in a divided world.

Attending the signing were the Turkmen Ambassador to the United States Meret Orazov; the Turkmen Deputy Minister of Education Azat Atayev; representatives from three Turkmen institutions of higher education; Kent State President Todd Diacon; Marcello Fantoni, Ph.D., Kent State’s vice president for global education; and Ayya Hudaybergenova, director of Eurasia strategy for Kent State’s Office of Global Education.

Kent State Today was present when the formal documents were signed by Diacon and Atayev.

“We are so happy to sign the memorandum of understanding that will unite educational efforts in Turkmenistan with the kinds of programs we offer at Kent State,” Diacon said. “Kent State has a long and proud history of international education. We are an award-winning university in that field so it’s really only natural that we work with really great partners like our delegation from Turkmenistan to extend the Kent State experience to yet another part of the globe.”

Atayev said it was 2023 when Turkmenistan began its efforts to improve its system of higher education, and he was pleased that after just one year, there were tangible results to celebrate.

Six Turkmen students already study at Kent State.  

“I hope that year by year, the number of students from Turkmenistan will increase, not only in the USA, but in the world, and together we can improve in cooperation,” Atayev said.  

The agreement is a “win-win” Diacon said, noting how both Turkmenistan and Kent State will gain from the partnership.

Global Education’s Hudaybergenova said the agreement is historic for both sides, as it represents the first such partnership between the Turkmen government and an American university.

Following the ceremony, Atayev and the delegation presented Diacon with a traditional Turkmenistan robe and hat, which the president enthusiastically donned to celebrate the cultural exchange.  

Also attending were Shohrat Pirmuhammedov, first secretary and consul for the Embassy of Turkmenistan in the U.S.; Begench Matliev, vice rector for scientific affairs of the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan; Nurmuhammet Shikhlyev, vice rector for scientific affairs of the International University for Humanities and Development of Turkmenistan; Yoly Miradov, head of the Department of Automobile Road Construction of the Turkmen State Institute of Architecture and Construction of Turkmenistan; and Nurgeldi Muhammedkuliyev, professor in the Department of Electrical Supply and Electromechanics of the Turkmen State Institute of Architecture and Construction.

Global University 

Kent State officials have been exploring an arrangement with Turkmenistan since June 2023, when Fantoni made an official visit to the country for Kent State, where he met with not only the Minister of Education but also the U.S. Ambassador to Turkmenistan. Both offered enthusiastic welcomes, Fantoni said. Additional meetings have taken place over the past year, culminating in the Oct. 2 signing.

Fantoni said Kent State believes that education is the best way to promote global understanding and democracy. Fantoni noted how Kent State does not enter into partnerships with any nation without the blessing of the U.S. State Department and would never work against American interests.  

In this case, the American Embassy in Turkmenistan encouraged the relationship.

“They believe education is the best way for America to reach its soft diplomacy goals,” he said. “By getting engaged in developing higher education in these countries, I think we bring a good contribution to the future of these countries and the world.”

Kent State has a long-standing history of opening its doors to students and educational partners worldwide.

“We could ask ‘Why Turkmenistan?’ Well, why Cambodia? Why Rwanda? Why Brazil? Why Jordan? Why Bangladesh? This is the global market and all universities, not only American universities, are competing for enrollment partnerships and programs everywhere in the world,” Fantoni said.

Turkmenistan, located just north of Iran and Afghanistan, is part of a group of former Soviet-bloc nations often referred to as “the Stans,” which include Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and along with neighboring Azerbaijan, comprise Central Asia.  

Turkmenistan wants to improve its educational institutes to better position them for international accreditation and global recognition.  

Kent State is committed to using its resources and expertise to assist Turkmenistan in reforming and globalizing its higher education sector, to increase access to quality education and enabling the country to become an active participant in the global education community.

Kent State hopes to research the current educational system, offer advice on what changes can be addressed and then aid in the reform efforts. These efforts will lay the groundwork for future partnerships, such as offering Kent State programs in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat.

“We are a leader in international education. We cannot leave any stone unturned,” Fantoni said. “We have to diversify our portfolio of countries we recruit from, and we cannot neglect Central Asia.”

This month, Fantoni will be heading to Turkmenistan again now that the agreement has been formalized and will make stops in those neighboring countries to explore additional opportunities for Kent State.

“Now, Uzbekistan wants to work with us, now Tajikistan wants to work with us,” Fantoni said.

Cultural Celebration

Following the signing ceremony, Kent State and the Turkmen Embassy hosted a cultural event that celebrated the life and legacy of 18th-century Turkmen poet and philosopher Magtymguly Fragi, recognized for his profound influence on Turkmen language, literature and national identity.  

Ambassador Orazov welcomed attendees at the event and noted what a great day it was for Turkmen education as the country and Kent State established a long-term partnership to work together on improving educational programs, hoping to one day establish a permanent Kent State presence in the nation’s capital.  

The event was held in conjunction with Kent State’s Wick Poetry Center, and a trio of Kent State students, Sergio Roper, Elaina Letso and Victoria Troche, all interns at Wick, recited some of Fragi’s work.

David Hassler, the Bob and Walt Wick Executive Director of the Wick Poetry Center, said he was pleased to be part of the event. “The Wick Poetry Center has a long-standing tradition of promoting the global conversation of poetry.”

He said Fragi’s words, “Break our hearts open for each other.”

The event also featured Turkmen music, dancers and a large display of Turkmen art.

Ogulkeyik Hudayberdiyeva, a Kent State junior from the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat, who is pursuing a double major in communication studies and international relations, was credited by Fantoni for encouraging him to visit her home country of Turkmenistan.

“This all started with her heart,” he said.

Dressed in a traditional velvet gown with intricate embroidery, Hudayberdiyeva said her education at Kent State has been “transformational,” and expressed her gratitude for scholarships that made her education abroad possible.

She prepared a basket of traditional fried dough known as “pishme” that she shared with the visiting delegation as a sign of Turkmen hospitality. Fried dough is typically served on special occasions to welcome guests, she said.

Others taking part in the cultural event were Maya Tuylieva, pianist, founder and chief executive officer of the Music Academy of Kansas City; Nicholas May, saxophonist and director of operations for the Music Academy of Kansas City; and Durdy Ilmammedov, a Turkmen scholar and expert in Fragi’s work.