On Knowledge and Student Youth Day in Ashgabat, a new complex of buildings at the Turkmen State Institute of Architecture and Construction was officially opened in the presence of the President of Turkmenistan, Serdar Berdimuhamedov. This was reported by the news agency ‘Turkmenistan: Golden age’.

The campus is designed to accommodate 5,000 students and covers an area of 32.2 hectares. It was built by the company ‘Ajaýyp Gurluşyk’, a member of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan. The complex is intended for training specialists in the fields of architecture, construction and engineering.

The complex comprises a 13-storey main building, buildings housing eight faculties and 28 departments, a library, a conference hall and specialised laboratories. A hall of residence with 2,600 places has been built for students. Two residential blocks, each with 40 flats, have been provided for teaching staff.

The Institute has received international certificates of compliance with five ISO standards. The certificates were issued by the international certification body ‘CERT International’. According to the Institute, it became the first higher education institution in Turkmenistan and the CIS countries to achieve simultaneous certification against these five standards.

With the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies have been introduced at the university. The institute has also received ‘green’ certificates confirming its compliance with the principles of sustainable development.

An authorised ‘Certiport’ examination centre operates on the university’s premises. This enables testing and the validation of digital and professional skills in accordance with international standards.

Lecture theatres and laboratories are equipped with apparatus from leading international manufacturers. The architecture and earthquake-resistant construction laboratory is fitted with a Motion Systems PS-6TM-550 platform for earthquake simulation. Leica surveying instruments and UTES testing equipment are also used.

The electromechanics laboratory is equipped with CM LABS simulators for training in the operation of heavy construction machinery, a Soldamatic welding simulator from Seabery, and a KUKA CRK 11 industrial robot. The General Chemical Technology Laboratory is fitted with a Spectro Spectrocube analytical system for X-ray fluorescence analysis of materials.

The new complex creates additional opportunities for training specialists, conducting scientific research, implementing digital technologies and developing international academic cooperation.