Turkmenistan shared its perspective on human capital and economic transformation at the UNDP Development Strategy and Financing Platform Policy Design Workshop, held in Ankara on 22–24 July, as reported by education.gov.tm. The regional workshop brought together government representatives, UNDP leadership, and experts from Europe and Central Asia to discuss how countries can strengthen strategic planning, development financing and implementation through better data, analytical tools, and institutional cooperation.
Human capital was at the centre of Turkmenistan’s contribution. Our experience demonstrates that investment in education creates its greatest economic value when quality becomes measurable and when education and skills development are directly connected to the changing needs of the economy.
Over recent years, Turkmenistan has expanded access to higher education, updated educational standards and programmes, and introduced a digital performance and ranking system that continuously monitors institutional results. This experience has demonstrated an important principle: when performance becomes measurable and transparent, data can become a practical instrument for improving quality and institutional behaviour.
The next step is to connect this approach directly with the labour market and economic development. Together with UNDP, Turkmenistan is developing a strategic human capital planning approach that will link education quality, competencies, demographic trends and future graduate supply with labour-market demand, productivity and economic growth.
Turkmenistan also presented its demographic-economic model and scenario-modelling software, which make it possible to assess how different decisions in education, employment, skills and productivity can influence labour supply and longer-term economic development.
The objective is to create a continuous evidence-based cycle: measure human capital → anticipate future economic demand → adapt education and skills development → monitor employment and productivity outcomes → adjust policy.
For Turkmenistan, the ultimate goal is to use its demographic potential to maximise the economic return on human capital — supporting higher productivity, innovation, technological development and higher-value-added economic activities.
Human capital should not only respond to the economy of today. It should become one of the forces shaping the economy of tomorrow.
