Professor David Pomerenke of the Technical University of Graz became the first foreign specialist to receive permission to conduct research in the field of amateur radio communications in Turkmenistan – this happened back in 2022. Since then, cooperation between the Austrian institute and the Oguz han University of Engineering and Technology in Ashgabat has evolved from a scientific experiment into a long-standing friendship, according to the website of the Turkmen-Austrian Society.

This week, the partnership reached a new level: with the support of the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Austria, a joint online scientific and practical conference titled "International Cooperation in Science as a Key Condition for Global Development" was held. The event was part of the recently signed memorandum of understanding between the two universities.

Professors, teachers, and students from both sides presented the results of their joint research. Topics included detecting unwanted electromagnetic radiation, measuring currents during electrostatic discharges, designing antenna systems, and microwave holography of electronic devices.

Pomerenke himself describes amateur radio communications surprisingly simply: "It's not a program, but more of a hobby." However, it was this "hobby" that became the entry point for a full-fledged academic partnership between the two countries—with student exchanges, joint research, and regular visits by scientists to Ashgabat.