From October 14 to 16, 2026, the rector of the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International University of Oil and Gas visited Japan to develop scientific and educational cooperation and interaction in the field of hydrogen energy. This was reported by the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.

During the visit, a meeting was held with Keisuke Nagata, President of the University of Tsukuba. The parties discussed joint research, specialist training and technologies for producing hydrogen from natural gas. Cooperation is developing on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan and the University of Tsukuba on April 7, 2025.

The Turkmen delegation also held talks with representatives of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The participants visited Chiyoda Kiyasu Research Park, the Hydrogen Bonding Research Center (HBRC), and the TIAR research institute at the University of Tsukuba.

Special attention was paid to personnel training. Three lecturers from Turkmen universities are undertaking an internship at the University of Tsukuba under the «SDGs Global Leader» program with the support of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The visit is aimed at strengthening the partnership between Turkmenistan and Japan in the fields of science, education and innovative technologies, as well as expanding cooperation in the field of hydrogen energy.