Organized by the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat in co-operation with the Institute for International Relations under the Foreign Ministry, the course brings together 38 second-year students from the international law and international relations departments.

The lectures will focus on the systems, fundamentals and documents of international human rights law, and cover universal, regional and national mechanisms for human rights protection. The classes will comprise not only theoretical lectures, but also practical exercises and discussion of case studies.

"The OSCE Centre is very pleased to contribute to the country’s efforts to reform and further upgrade its higher educational system. We find it particularly important to organize such series of lectures for students, who will take the lead in shaping the country’s foreign policy in future, and in ensuring the compliance of the national legislation with international standards," said Ambassador Arsim Zekolli, the Head of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.

"Today’s students may work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and represent their country both in international organizations and embassies and consulates in other countries. International standards in the human rights field are a necessary element of training for the highly skilled personnel needed for the sustainable development of Turkmenistan," said Anatoly Azarov, the Director of the Moscow School on Human Rights who will deliver lectures to the students.

As part of its support to the Institute for International Relations, the Centre provided the Institute’s library with a wide range of publications for teachers and students on human rights and international law.