Cooperation with Japanese educational specialists

On November 29, 2024, a meeting was held at the National Institute of Education of Turkmenistan with Japanese experts working on the development of textbooks and materials for teaching Japanese in general education schools. This work is being carried out under an agreement with the Japan Foundation as part of international cooperation in the field of education between Turkmenistan and Japan. The meeting was attended by Japanese specialists Hiroshi Ito and Naruhito Katsu, who have been working in Turkmenistan for the past two years, as well as Ms. Yufu Iwai, who arrived in the country on a working visit to plan cooperation in this area for the next two years.

On behalf of Turkmenistan, the meeting was attended by the Director of the National Institute of Education, B. Bashimov; the Head of the Department for Professional Development of Educators, S. Durdyyev; and Senior Researcher of the Preschool Education and Primary Education Department, O. Berdiev.

During the meeting, the Japanese specialists shared their impressions of teaching Japanese in Turkmen schools. Hiroshi Ito and Naruhito Katsu noted their keen interest in observing Japanese language lessons, emphasizing the enthusiasm of students. They also mentioned engaging in question-and-answer sessions with students in Japanese. The experts further shared that they conducted methodological consultations for teachers of Japanese, offering guidance and sharing their expertise.

Thanks to the efforts of the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Hero Arkadag, and the President of Turkmenistan, Arkadag Hero Serdar, significant attention is being given to teaching foreign languages in the country’s educational institutions, including Japanese. Active collaboration with Japanese specialists plays an essential role in teaching the younger generation Japanese, developing modern textbooks, and enhancing the professional skills of educators.

It is worth highlighting that Japanese specialists, in collaboration with Turkmen educators, have developed teaching materials. A vivid example of this is the newly published “Japanese Language” textbook for the 12th grade of Turkmen general education schools. This textbook was published in the Year of “The Fount of Wisdom Magtymguly Fragi" upon the initiative of the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan and was mass-produced by the State Publishing Service of Turkmenistan. The textbook aims to enhance the effective learning of Japanese among young generations and inspire them to study foreign languages alongside their native Turkmen.

Turkmen-Japanese cooperation in the field of education creates significant opportunities for young people to acquire modern knowledge and contributes to fostering friendly and trusting relations between the two nations. We firmly believe that this collaboration will continue to grow, and through the implementation of new educational programs in our country, more projects in areas such as innovations and modern technologies will emerge among talented youth.