On April 16, during the 7th meeting of the China-Turkmenistan Cooperation Committee, Ding Xuexiang, Special Representative of President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, together with Rashid Meredov, Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Turkmenistan, jointly witnessed the signing of the Agreement on the Establishment of the China-Turkmenistan Joint Energy Education Center. Jin Yan, President of China University of Petroleum-Beijing (CUP), Yu Tianqi, Deputy Director of the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, and Bayrammyrat Atamanov, President of the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gas University, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective parties.

Natural gas cooperation is the cornerstone of China-Turkmenistan relations, bringing tangible benefits to the people of both countries and serving as a powerful engine for economic prosperity and development. Over the years, CUP has been deeply cultivated markets in Turkmenistan, training more than 1,000 professional talents and nearly 400 local employees since 2009.

To set an example for China-Turkmenistan cooperation in energy education and to support bilateral energy collaboration, at the end of 2023, CUP and the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gas University reached a consensus on jointly establishing the China-Turkmenistan Joint Energy Education Center, with support from the Center for Language Education and Cooperation, ‌Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. After more than two years of active preparation, the center has finally been successfully established. In the future, the center will serve the overall development of China-Turkmenistan energy cooperation, assisting Turkmenistan in cultivating high-level elite talents in the energy field through jointly developed training programs, international conferences, faculty and student exchanges, and academic research.

During their visit to Turkmenistan, the delegation from CUP participated in organizing a thematic exhibition accompanying the Seminar Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of China-Turkmenistan Natural Gas Strategic Cooperation.The delegation also visited the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gas University of Turkmenistan and the Turkmenistan branch of Sinopec Service, held talks with CNPC Amu Darya Gas Company, and visited alumni working and living in Turkmenistan.

At the thematic exhibition accompanying the Seminar Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of China-Turkmenistan Natural Gas Strategic Cooperation, Xi Ru, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of China’s Ministry of Education, and Jin Yan, President of CUP, accompanied Ding Xuexiang on a tour of the exhibition. They introduced the guiding spirit of President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping’s important reply to Central Asian students at CUP, as well as the achievements made by CUP in cultivating energy-sector talents for Turkmenistan.

At the Yagshygeldi Kakayev International Oil and Gas University, President Bayrammyrat Atamanov met with the delegation. The two sides had in-depth exchanges and discussions on specific directions for future cooperation under the framework of the China-Turkmenistan Joint Energy Education Center. In addition, Jin Yan exchanged views with CNPC Amu Darya Gas Company and the Turkmenistan branch of Sinopec Service on university-enterprise cooperation in areas such as talent cultivation and personnel training.

During the visit, Jin Yan and his delegation also visited alumni working in various sectors in Turkmenistan, encouraging them to continue their efforts and contribute their wisdom and strength to the shared future of China and Turkmenistan.

Relevant officials from the International Office and the College of International Education accompanied the visit.