Refreshment University provides education to elders

Melike Çalkap- ANTALYA

At the Refreshment University, which was opened for citizens aged 60 and over within the body of Akdeniz University in the southern province of Antalya, male students knit and cook, while female students receive training in repairs.

The idea of establishing Türkiye’s first university for elderly people, which emerged as a social responsibility project within the university, belongs to Ismail Tufan from the Health Sciences Faculty of the university.

Refreshment University, where the faculty members from Akdeniz University also teach voluntarily, started its education in 2016.

“We did not invent educating older people, but we have brought new dimensions to it. We have established the only university for elders in the world where old men learn to knit and cook, and women learn to repair,” Tufan stated.

Pointing out that a special curriculum is prepared for students, Tufan noted that people above a certain age need to change nutrition and unhealthy habits and set goals for the future in order to prevent dementia, so they also give practical information to their students about this.

“Knitting is also included in these, as knitting creates a situation in the brain like playing chess. They also cook. Women learn about repair work. They also take courses in different fields such as agriculture, health, sports, history, law and economics,” Tufan expressed.

“I’m in the fourth grade now. I will graduate this year after completing my internship. I want to do my internship in the zoning department of the municipality. And then I want to start a master’s degree,” stated Hüseyin Akça, an 87-year-old retired gendarme commander.

“I am one of the first graduates. For four years, we have gained knowledge in many fields and improved ourselves, and our outlook on life has changed. In addition, with the repair knowledge I learned there, I can repair small things that break in my house without calling a repairman,” said Türkan Bağ, a 70-year-old retired teacher.