As a Muskie [6]fellow at the University of Colorado in Boulder [7], Oleg Guchgedieyev studied management and project design through an academic program in business administration. Since completing his Muskie fellowship in 1996, Guchgedieyev has made significant contributions to agricultural reform and environmental protection in Turkmenistan and in the Caspian Sea region. Below he reflects on his work and the role of the Muskie Program in shaping his career.
Tell us a little bit about your current position at United Nations Environmental Programme. What is your role and what do you like the most about your job?
I am a part of the Caspian Environment Programme initiative, which synchronizes efforts of the Caspian states in implementing their environmental strategies. I assist countries’ efforts to develop action plans and define possible institutional barriers for implementing provisions of the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Caspian Sea [8]. Working in such an international environment with people of different backgrounds, cultural perceptions, visions and ideas is an interesting experience. It is a great pleasure to observe how these states, despite numerous political disagreements, are trying to protect one of the most fragile marine environment ecosystems in the world.
What effect has your participation in the Muskie Program had on your career, or life, more generally?
As for many Muskie alumni, the program has an effect of “changing my life.” It is not limited to academic knowledge or qualifications, which of course significantly contributed to my career. It is more about changing views, understanding and even some values. The Muskie program helped us to better understand ourselves, learn and explore our identity and make important decisions about our own life. The unique feature of American society, or living in the US, is that it facilitates your independent outlook by freeing your mind. Personally, the program enabled me to channel my efforts to contribute to the improvement of the society I live in.
How has your country changed since the time when you started your Muskie fellowship?
My program started in 1995, the most exciting time of ongoing transformation and creation of new statehood in Turkmenistan. The transformation was not only of the country, but of my mind, education, experience, and this change made me better able to understand processes in my country. For the last 15 years, the country has changed significantly, maturing as a state and growing as a regional economic unit. I was happy to be a part of this process and to contribute to development of environmental policy of this country, to be among the first to work on transformation in the agricultural and other sectors of Turkmenistan.
The Edmund S. Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program [6] is funded by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs [9] of the U.S. Department of State and is implemented by IREX. In 2012, the Muskie Program celebrates 20 years of productive partnerships with leaders of Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Read about another leader building civil society in Kazakhstan [10].