The academy's lineage dates back to the Turkmen Scientific Commission, founded in 1922. It would later become the State Academic Council, under the
People's Commissariat of Education, and then in May 1932 the Turkmen Scientific Research Institute. By 1945, research staff included thirty-five
Turkmens. The present academy was established 29 June 1951 by decree of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Soviet. By 1986, the academy had 15 research institutions. In the summer of 1998, the academy came under the direct control of the president of Turkmenistan. It was closed for more than 10 years and was reopened by President
Niyazov's successor,
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow.
2009 revival With the revival of the academy in 2009 the structure of science and research in Turkmenistan changed, reflecting reforms initiated by President
Berdimuhamedow. With the new structure of the academy, research is centralized. The academy was restored according to presidential resolution number 10458 dated June 12, 2009, "On the question about the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan". According to the resolution, 11 institutes and three organisations serving the science sector were moved: the library, the printing house and the Ylym publishing house. By decree of President Berdimuhamedow in January 2019, the government will gradually end state funding of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan, phasing it out over three years. == Leaders ==