The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan have launched a new joint project aimed at developing human capital.

As part of the project, an initial meeting was held with the participation of representatives of relevant government agencies and international experts. The meeting focused on the pilot phase of an initiative aimed at developing an integrated approach that connects demographic changes, the education system, skills development and labour market needs.

The new project envisages strengthening the capacity of government agencies in data analysis and long-term planning. It also plans to develop foresight projections to determine the number and fields of specialists that will be needed in various sectors of the economy in the future.

During the first phase of the project, the methods currently in use and the cooperation mechanisms among government agencies will be analysed. For this purpose, international experts will hold a series of working meetings with relevant ministries and agencies.

UNDP Resident Representative in Turkmenistan Narine Saakyan noted that the country’s young population creates significant opportunities for economic and social development. According to her, the main objective of the project is to create conditions for making effective use of these opportunities through quality education, innovation and the creation of decent jobs.

Deputy Minister of Education of Turkmenistan Azat Atayev also emphasized that the initiative will help anticipate future labour market needs and support the training of specialists required by the economy.

The project is being implemented in line with Turkmenistan’s national priorities and is also aligned with the Strategy for the Development of Higher Professional Education for 2026–2052.