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"I Want to Be a Bridge Between Turkmenistan and China" — The Journey of a Turkmen Educator in Lanzhou
30 Mar. 08:42Jahan Saryyewa from Turkmenistan has traveled an inspiring road, rising from one of the first Turkmen students at Lanzhou Jiaotong University to becoming a distinguished professor of the Chinese language. Today, she stands as the only foreign expert at the university to hold an official professional certificate for teaching Chinese as a foreign language. Her career is a testament to the power of cultural exchange and the high level of academic excellence achieved by Turkmen professionals abroad.
Jahan’s journey in China began in 2008 when she arrived as part of the initial group of twelve Turkmen students to enroll at the university. Her fascination with China started in middle school, sparked by the history of Confucius, the Great Wall, and China’s rich tea culture. Over the years, Lanzhou Jiaotong University has graduated more than 200 Turkmen students, many of whom have returned home to contribute to their nation's development, while Jahan stayed to foster the next generation of scholars.
In 2019, Saryyewa moved into a teaching and management role within the university's Institute of International Education. Her multilingual skills are a vital asset in her classroom; she communicates in Russian with students from Central Asia and Russia, and in English with those from Europe and Africa. Speaking to the Xinhua News Agency, she remarked, "Knowing different languages and understanding diverse cultures allows me to build bridges of communication with the world."
Her contributions were formally recognized in 2022 when she received the Gansu Provincial Government’s "Dunhuang" Award. This honor is reserved for foreign experts who have made significant contributions to the region's economy, science, education, and professional training. Beyond her academic duties, Jahan leads a book lovers' club at the "Foreign Experts' Book House," where teachers and students from around the globe gather to share their literary experiences, further solidifying her role as a cultural ambassador between the two nations.
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Turkmen Journalists and Experts Participated in the OSCE Central Asia Media Conference in Bishkek
10 Oct. 13:57On October 9–10, 2026, the capital of Kyrgyzstan hosted a major OSCE Central Asia Media Conference, bringing together leading experts, government officials, civil society representatives, and media professionals from across the region. Entitled "Building Shared Reality: Information Integrity, Media Ethics and Trust in the Digital Age," this high-level forum addressed the most pressing contemporary challenges, including the transformation of information ecosystems, the impact of Big Tech, the deployment of artificial intelligence systems, and the digital safety of media workers.
The significance of this conference is profound, serving as an essential platform for building cross-border dialogue, reinforcing professional journalistic standards, and collectively shaping regional solutions amidst rapid digitalization.
Throughout the rich program of the forum, participants discussed a wide array of topics ranging from independent self-regulation standards and source protection to practical tools for AI integration in newsrooms and gender-sensitive approaches to journalists' safety. Representatives from Turkmenistan took an active part in the conference sessions, highlighting national priorities within the broader regional framework. Specifically, during discussions on implementing OSCE policy guidelines, Turkmen delegation member emphasized the importance of a phased approach to developing the media environment—one grounded in studying international experience, expert dialogue, and adaptation to national and linguistic realities.
Key topics included digital platform transparency, the development of Turkmen-language AI models, media economic sustainability, and copyright protection in the era of AI. Additionally, Azat Seyitmuhammedov, founder of Arzuw News, shared practical insights into deploying generative artificial intelligence to optimize workflows in smaller local newsrooms.
The conference underscored that continuous multilateral dialogue among Central Asian nations and international partners, including the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat, is vital for successfully navigating the technological challenges of the future.
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