Education world mobilizes to support students in quake region

KAHRAMANMARAŞ

Following the devastating earthquakes on Feb. 6, many educational institutions, associations and foundations have initiated relief campaigns to support students in the 11 earthquake-affected provinces in the country’s south.

In the first days after the quakes, institutions immediately tried to communicate with their scholarship holders and families in the region, while education foundations doubled the amount of scholarships to support students during these difficult days.

After giving aid to their own scholarship students, they are now rushing to provide both scholarships and renovation and material donations to schools.

Some private schools also increased their quotas to reach more students in the earthquake zone.

Many educational foundations are also extending a helping hand to students in earthquake provinces.

The Turkish Educational Foundation (TEV) provided an additional 3 million Turkish Liras ($160,000) of accommodation scholarships to 2,573 students in the earthquake-affected provinces or those whose families reside in these regions.

TEV will also cooperate with the Education Ministry and local governments to create another scholarship fund for all children and young people whose educational lives are affected due to the disaster.

The Association for Supporting Contemporary Life (ÇYDD), which has provided scholarships to 3,500 students in secondary and high schools and universities in quake-hit region, has sent 1,000 liras to each of the nearly 2,000 students since the first day of the quakes.

The Aegean Contemporary Education Foundation doubled the amount of scholarships. It also stated that the support to be provided to many students at different education levels, from primary school to university, will continue in the next educational period.

Alumni associations initiate aid campaigns

Several alumni from the country’s top universities, such as Boğaziçi University, Middle East Technical University, Istanbul Technical University and Hacettepe University, have started collecting donations for the earthquake-affected students studying at their universities.

In addition, a community of Boğaziçi University graduates living abroad will also provide financial contributions for students of several universities affected by the earthquake.

Seeking to reach 400 students with a scholarship of 250 euros per person, the community aims to collect a total of 100,000 euros.

The rectorates of several universities also directed many donations made by their students, graduates, academics and other employees to the region.

The Scientific and Technical Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) announced that it will provide financial assistance to undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students and post-doctoral researchers affected by the devastating earthquakes.

TÜBİTAK will provide support to undergraduate students for up to six months and graduate students and post-doctoral researchers for up to a year, while doctoral students will be supported for up to two years.