United States of America (Missoula)
40Representatives of higher education institutions of Turkmenistan, including a representative of the Turkmen State Institute of Finance, undertook an official business trip from October 18 to 28, 2025, to discuss the possibilities of bilateral cooperation in the field of education with higher education institutions in the states of Wyoming and Montana of the United States of America.
University of Montana
(Missoula, Montana, USA)
October 22, 2025
During the official business trip, on October 22, 2025, members of the Turkmen delegation visited the University of Montana (UM), located in Missoula, Montana, USA.
At the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, the delegation met with the Deputy Director of the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, Sky Borden, and Dr. Liz Barrs, Director of the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Critical Language and Culture Program. At this meeting, University of Montana staff spoke about the history of the institution.
The University of Montana is widely recognized today as a public research university. It was founded in 1893. The university has strong research activity and holds notable positions in international rankings. Among the University of Montana’s alumni are several award winners, including a Nobel Prize laureate.
The meeting continued with the participation of Dr. Donna Anderson, Director of the University of Montana’s Global Engagement Office, geography professor and senior research scholar at the Mansfield Center Dr. Sarah J. Halvorson, Director of the Elouise Cobell Institute for Land and Culture and Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Dr. Fernando Sanchez, Assistant Professor of Aquatic Systems Ecology Dr. Ben Colman, academic director of the Defense Critical Language and Culture Program Dr. Shaima Khinjani, and the Regional Research Program Director, Dr. Oleg Salimov.
University representatives and members of the Turkmen delegation discussed opportunities for bilateral cooperation between higher education institutions. They exchanged views on organizing educational and research programs, including undergraduate and graduate studies in ecology, environmental protection, language learning, and entrepreneurship, as well as field-based professional training.
During the campus tour of the University of Montana, members of the Turkmen delegation were given the opportunity to attend classes. The high quality of the learning environment in the classrooms was noted.
Members of the Turkmen delegation visited the Payne Family Native American Center at the University of Montana. There, the center director spoke about Native American tribes and the teaching of Indigenous languages. This was followed by a question-and-answer session.
At the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center, a meeting was held between the Turkmen delegation and Associate Provost for Academic Affairs at the University of Montana, Andrea Lawrence. The meeting was attended by university representatives Liz Barrs, Donna Anderson, Sarah J. Halvorson, and Shaima Khinjani. Discussions focused on the potential for establishing bilateral cooperation between the University of Montana and relevant higher education institutions of Turkmenistan, the importance of conducting online courses, and the need to carry out specific scientific research. Members of the Turkmen delegation also shared information about ongoing educational reforms in Turkmenistan, the development of digital education, and the participation of the country’s universities in international rankings.
At the Mansfield Center, working consultations on the University of Montana’s cybersecurity program were held for members of the Turkmen delegation. Dr. Tom Gallagher, Dean of Missoula College and Director of the Cybersecurity Center, and Dr. Victor Valgenti, Program Director of Information Technology and Assistant Professor at Missoula College, gave detailed presentations on the organization of cybersecurity education, the courses offered, and employment prospects for graduates.
