Magtymguly Turkmen State University is located in Turkmenistan’s capital city of Ashgabat. TDU was founded in 1931 as Ashgabat Pedagogy Institute and became Turkmenistan State University in 1950, and was renamed in 1993 after Magytmguly Pyragy, a Turkmen poet and religious thinker.
It is divided into faculties of maths, information technology, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, Turkmen language and literature, English language and literature, Roman-Germanic and Asian languages, history, law and professional development.
Most date to its early years, but English teaching started in 1959 and information technology was spun off from maths in 2019. Social work is a new addition along with a master's programme in psychology and pedagogy. Postgraduate courses began in 1933.
Students can join groups practising local dance and musical styles as part of the Melodies of Happiness cultural centre.