FLEX alumni Yelena Gareyeva’08 and Yazjemal Nuriyeva’08 launched a long-term project aimed at development of youth potential in Turkmenistan. Professional development workshops and networking opportunities that this social project offers are in high demand among Turkmen youth. The ultimate goal is to unite and grow dedicated community of professionals who are ready to learn, share and thrive together. The project is carried out with the support of the American Councils for International Education and the US Embassy in Turkmenistan. The sessions are conducted at the American Center and advertised on U.S. Embassy social media.

Starting from October 2022, 12 sessions were conducted with participation of prominent guest speakers from different spheres, such as business, media, IT, culture, marketing and education. There were sessions on project management, public speaking skills, effective usage of google tools, career assessment test, freelancing opportunities in Turkmenistan, business talks with the bakery owner and a discoverer of hair repairment product and many others. Fellow FLEX alumni also take an active part in the initiative either as participants or as speakers. For example, Maral Saparova’06 presented on “Experience within leading international oil companies for 15+ years”, Ilyas Seisov’09 conducted a presentation on his profession “How to become a Web Developer: Definitive Guide” and Maral Jumadurdyyeva’12 who is also a Fulbright TEA 2023 program alumna presented on her recent experience of “Exploring USA for professional development”.

Each session consists of two parts, the educational one, where the experts and experienced presenters share practical knowledge and experience and a networking part, during which participants are engaged into fun activities. As a result of this project, several participants of the project have found their employers and clients during the networking sessions. The project is considered to be successful because on average up to 45 participants attend each session and more than 350 people follow the official Young Professionals Network Turkmenistan page on LinkedIn.

To conclude, YPN not only provides youth with opportunities to utilize the professional skills they already have, but also to hone them and learn new ones. Through sessions, and talks with inspirational professionals, young participants receive an access to learning opportunities on regular basis. Yazjemal Nuriyeva’08 and Yelena Gareyeva’08 truly believe that by building this network, training young professionals the essential skills for workplace success they will impact and bring positive change to community.