VZCZCXRO4770
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FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
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INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 4868
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 2638
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 2503
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3112
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3348

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000270 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB 
AGRICULTURE FOR GERARD/FREITAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ECON EAID TX
SUBJECT: U.S. AGRICULTURE ECONOMISTS CONCLUDE SUCCESSFUL 
LECTURES AT TURKMENISTAN'S AG UNIVERSITY 
 
REF: ASHGABAT 170 
 
¶1.  (U) Sensitive but unclassified.  Not for public Internet. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  The visit of two professors from the 
University of Nevada, Reno College of Agriculture, 
Biotechnology and Natural Resources to teach seminars at the 
Agriculture University was successful, with groundwork laid 
for positive cooperation in what is planned to be a long-term 
relationship.  The University of Nevada, Reno, wants to 
invite a delegation of four or five people, led by the 
Rector, to the United States this summer and hope that some 
economics faculty will speak enough English so that they can 
come to Nevada for the Faculty Exchange Program in spring 
¶2010.  The Rector recommended that the two sides formalize 
the relationship with a Memorandum of Understanding.  The 
professors recommend that Post develop a regular economics 
course at the University, and observed that improvements in 
the English Language Training program need to occur for the 
English skills to increase to level necessary for 
participating in programs in the United States.  Johnson and 
Narayanan established good rapport with the University and 
the cooperation is a step in the right direction.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) As part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
Faculty Exchange Program in Agricultural Economics, two 
professors from the University of Nevada, Reno College of 
Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources visited 
Ashgabat on February 13-24 to teach seminars to faculty and 
students (reftel).  Assistant to the Dean for Special 
Projects, Stanley Johnson, and Associate Dean of Outreach and 
Professor of Applied Economics and Statistics, Rang 
Narayanan, taught two two-hour sessions per day on 
introductory principles of market economics to groups of 15 
teachers and 25 students.  Johnson and Narayanan taught the 
students presentation techniques as well and on the last day 
of class the students made presentations, based on what 
they'd learned, to Johnson and Narayanan and the Turkmen 
instructors.  The Rector assigned the Dean of Faculty to 
oversee this program, including introducing them to his 
family in his home, and taking them on visits to the 
University's model farms and some tourism sights in the 
countryside.  One teacher who attended the lectures wrote a 
general article on the Agriculture University which included 
information about the professors' visit, and which appeared 
on the front page of official Russian-language newspaper, 
Neytralniy Turkmenistan, below the fold. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Agriculture University Rector, Gurbandurdy 
Mammetgulyev, answered all of Johnson and Narayanan's 
questions in an introductory meeting on February 13.  After a 
thorough discussion on the background of the University, 
Mammetgulyev said in response to a question on major 
challenges to Turkmenistan's agriculture sector that 
Turkmenistan "cannot compare its production or yields with 
that of developed countries.  We are probably not well 
informed about technologies.  Over 50 percent of the 
population lives in the countryside, which is very different 
from the U.S. model."  He added that people are not leaving 
farms in spite of opportunities in construction, and that "we 
want people to be successful on the farms -- that is our 
goal."  In a farewell meeting on February 22, Johnson and 
Narayanan explained that they would like to invite a 
delegation of four or five people led by the Rector to 
Washington, a Midwestern university, and Nevada this summer. 
They would also hope that some Economics faculty will speak 
enough English so that they can come to Nevada for the 
Faculty Exchange Program in spring 2010.  They emphasized the 
necessity of staying for the entire semester, which the 
Turkmen side objected to previously.  The Rector recommended 
that the two sides formalize the relationship with a 
 
ASHGABAT 00000270  002 OF 002 
 
 
Memorandum of Understanding, and said that these programs 
would be a great stimulus for the students.  He asked for 
information on the curriculum that the faculty would be 
studying and indicated specific interest in salinity issues 
and ecological challenges. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Johnson and Narayanan visited the Faculty Exchange 
Program-sponsored English Language Training program at the 
University but found that the local teacher was talking too 
much in the class, thereby not allowing the students -- who 
are faculty members -- to participate.  They recommend trying 
to find a native English speaker with a more modern approach 
to teaching English as a second language to teach the course. 
 Johnson and Narayanan also met with a Turkmen-speaking Amcit 
who resides locally with degrees in economics and a 
background in agriculture.  Because of the dearth of 
economics knowledge in Turkmenistan -- which their classes 
could not change in six days -- they also recommended that 
Post offer more economics courses on a regular basis. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Johnson and Narayanan told Post that the students 
and faculty were tolerant of the market economics concepts, 
which were new for them.  By the end of the seminars the 
students and faculty were openly disputing some of the 
concepts.  (COMMENT:  It should be pointed out that Turkmen, 
especially students, are not in the habit of disagreeing with 
foreign guests.  This is especially true when the guests have 
rank or are older, as both of these professors have and are. 
But it is also a positive sign that the students and faculty 
felt at ease to disagree, and that the two sides could engage 
in discussion.  END COMMENT.)  They added that the contact 
and the organization at the Agriculture University was 
excellent and much improved over previous visits of the Dean 
of their College. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) COMMENT:  It was not easy for Mammetgulyev to 
answer the question of Turkmenistan's problems in the 
agricultural sector because of a cultural norm in which 
admitting weakness is humiliating.  However, buoyed by the 
President's exhortations to work with foreign scholars, he 
also knows that the University can benefit from the 
relationship.  Johnson and Narayanan established good rapport 
with the University and the cooperation is a step in the 
right direction.  Post would like to continue discussions 
with the Department of Agriculture on the establishment of a 
regular economics course at the University, and would also 
like to discuss finding a native English-speaker to teach the 
course with the Department.  This would require additional 
funding but would likely result in a higher quality 
educational experience.  Johnson and Narayanan said that they 
would send a draft Memorandum of Understanding very soon, 
which will be a high priority for cooperation to continue. 
END COMMENT. 
MILES