Pakistan, Turkmenistan to deepen Education, Language, Cultural Cooperation

ISLAMABAD, Nov 04 (APP): Pakistan and Turkmenistan have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in higher education, language teaching, curriculum development and institutional linkages.

Chairman Higher Education Commission (HEC), Prof. Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, welcomed Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Pakistan, H.E. Mr. Atadjan Movlamov, at the HEC Secretariat in Islamabad for a detailed meeting on expanding academic collaboration between the two brotherly countries.

The discussions focused on providing Urdu language teachers to the Dovletmammet Azadi Turkmen National Institute of World Languages in Ashgabat through a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), Islamabad. The initiative is expected to promote Urdu language learning in Turkmenistan and deepen people-to-people and cultural understanding.

The two sides also discussed the proposed MoU between Arkadag Islamic University and the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI), following the recent visit of former Mufti of Turkmenistan, Mr. Yalkap Hojagulyyev, to Pakistan. The proposed partnership aims to enhance cooperation in Islamic studies, research, faculty exchange and academic programmes.

Chairman HEC reaffirmed HEC’s full support in facilitating collaboration with NUML and other Pakistani higher education institutions for Urdu language teaching, curriculum development and academic partnerships. He said Pakistan values its historic and brotherly ties with Turkmenistan and is keen to expand educational diplomacy.

Both sides expressed their commitment to advancing educational, religious, scholarly and cultural cooperation, further strengthening the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and Turkmenistan.