TR
Enver Yücel Aims for University for Syrian Refugees
BAU Chairman of the Board of Trustees Enver Yücel's idea of "establishing a Turkish university for Syrian refugees" attracted great interest in the international press. Yücel's dream made the news in many newspapers, from the NY Times to the Washington Post and from the Daily Mail to ABC News.
Giving an interview to the Associated Press while in New York to receive the UN UNCA "Global Education Contribution Award", Enver Yücel spoke of his plan to establish a Turkish university for Syrian refugees and said that the university should offer Arabic and English options in addition to Turkish-language courses. Yücel said: "I really think these young people need to be educated. If we cannot educate these young people, they will become a big problem in the future for Türkiye, for their own country and for the entire region."
Enver Yücel's idea of establishing a university for Syrian refugees attracted great interest in the international press. Yücel's interview was published in many major newspapers.
THE FIRST UNIVERSITY IN HATAY
| ENVER YÜCEL MAKES THE NEWS IN THE INTERNATIONAL PRESS |
|
To read the New York Times article, click here To read the Fox News article, click here To read the ABC News article, click here To read the Daily Star article, click here To read the Aina article, click here To read the Today's Zaman article, click here To read the Washington Post article, click here To read the Daily Mail article, click here |
Speaking to the Associated Press, Yücel set out his vision that small campuses could be opened in other cities of Türkiye close to Syria, including Gaziantep. Planning to open the first university in Hatay, Yücel hopes to begin education with 1,500 students in the 2015-2016 academic year once the necessary permits are obtained from the government. Yücel also said that they would offer jobs to 400 Syrian faculty members who are also refugees.
Stating that Syrian students will not be able to afford tuition fees, Yücel said, "We will take proposals to the government, foundations and individuals to support the university." Saying that a budget of 51 million dollars will be needed for the first year, Yücel predicts that the university could reach 5,500 students with a budget of 290 million dollars in its 5th year. Yücel adds that he will personally provide 9.5 million dollars in support to the university in its first year and that this project has the potential to reach 20 thousand students.
"YOU CAN CHANGE A PERSON'S LIFE ONLY THROUGH EDUCATION"
Although it may seem a difficult task, we can say that Yücel is experienced in such processes. He is the Chairman of Bahçeşehir Uğur Educational Institutions. These institutions include Bahçeşehir Colleges, with 55 campuses and 30 thousand students in different parts of Türkiye, and Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul. The education group also has centers in Toronto, Washington DC, Silicon Valley, Berlin, Cologne, Hong Kong and Rome. In addition, there is the newly accredited BAU International University in Washington.
“"You can change a person's life only through education, and that one person can change the world," says Yücel.
There is a generation of children deprived of education due to the civil war in Syria. Young Syrians living with the hope of entering university are the most severely affected by this situation. Many young people have missed far too much of their schooling and are obliged to support their families financially. Unfortunately, countries providing educational aid only help meet the needs of younger students, so young people who want to enter university cannot benefit from this aid.
| AP: ENVER YÜCEL WILL BE THE SOLUTION FOR SYRIAN REFUGEE CHILDREN |
|
At a Syrian refugee camp in Türkiye, 19-year-old Usame İsa lives with the dream of studying engineering. But Usame İsa does not know enough Turkish to pass the language proficiency exam at a state university. And he is not alone in this. Metin Çorabatır, director of the Research Centre on Asylum and Migration in Ankara, says that many of the 1.6 million Syrians in Türkiye do not know Turkish and do not have the money to take Turkish lessons. A Turkish education entrepreneur, Enver Yücel, has an ambitious plan that could solve these problems. This entrepreneur argues that a Turkish university should be established for Syrian refugees and that this university should offer Arabic and English options in addition to Turkish-language courses. |
THEY DO NOT NEED TO TAKE THE UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAM
The Turkish Government says that the university entrance exams required for admission to Turkish state universities are not necessary for Syrian students, and that it is sufficient for them to show their high school diploma. But the language requirement continues to stand as a major obstacle.
Besar al-Suved, who left Syria 2 years ago and works as a history teacher at the Nizip refugee camp, said: "Turkish universities accept very few Syrian students. This is because they do not know the Turkish language and do not have the money to cover tuition fees."
Stating that 5 hours of language lessons are given per week in the camps, Besar al-Suved says, "If there were an Arabic university, they would have a better education and thus a better life." Some Syrians fled to Jordan, some to Lebanon and some to Iraq. However, unlike Türkiye, the preferred language in these countries is Arabic.
Metin Çorabatır, director of the Research Centre on Asylum and Migration in Ankara: "The language problem is truly a major barrier. When these refugees return to their country, they will need not a lost generation, but a generation that can rebuild the country."
