Dutch NGO supports 5 Turkish universities amid pandemic

ISTANBUL

Spark, a Dutch-based non-governmental organization (NGO) announced on Dec. 28 that it provided technical support and equipment to five Turkish universities to ensure proper access to distance education.

According to a report by the state-run Anadolu Agency, the NGO has provided the infrastructure needs for online education at Gaziantep University, Harran University in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, Mustafa Kemal University in the southern province of Hatay, University of Mersin and Sütçü İmam University in the Mediterranean province of Kahramanmaraş.

“By mobilizing the expertise within universities, the NGO organized accelerated training programs on providing online content, managing virtual classrooms, and using technology,” according to the statement issued by Spark.

“Thanks to the support of the European Union Madad Fund, Spark has played a key role in meeting the needs within the framework of protocols signed with the universities,” the statement said.

The NGO started working in Turkey in 2015 and has been providing support to thousands of Syrians in Turkey, especially students, to help them overcome the trauma that they have faced due to the war through individual and collective psychological support sessions.