The third of the education meet ups organized by the Education Policy Application and Research Center (EPAR) of Our University was held online at the Rectorate Mimar Kemaleddin Hall.  Our Rector Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız, Education and External Relations Coordinator Prof. Dr. İhsan Kalenderoğlu, Director of Education Policy Application and Research Center Prof. Dr. Bülent Aksoy, faculty members, guests and students attended the conference titled "UNICEF's Education Programs and Studies in Turkey"  in which former graduate of our University and UNICEF Turkey Education System Strengthening Unit Manager Assoc. Dr. Mehmet Buldu participated as speaker.

In the opening speech of the program, our Rector Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız said, “The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Turkey has been working to defend and protect the rights of children and youth in Turkey since 1951. UNICEF's country program focuses on the needs of the most vulnerable children living in Turkey in the fields of education, child protection, health, social policy, adolescence and youth in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Noting that the UNICEF Turkey Country Program is based on ongoing efforts to strengthen and expand existing national systems, our Rector Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız continued as follows: "As it is known, children living in rural areas, poor children and refugee children who start primary school late may find it difficult to make up for the lost time and the risk of these children dropping out may increase. Children who work are also more likely to drop out of school in secondary education compared to their peers. In addition, there is huge pressure on the demand for basic services and infrastructure services in Turkey, which hosts the largest number of refugees in the world.”

Underlining that refugee children face the risk of not being able to receive education, our Rector Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız expressed that these children may face additional difficulties due to trauma, language problems and social incompatibility.

Our Rector Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız continued his speech as follows: “UNICEF Turkey works to ensure that all children, especially disadvantaged children, can access education and training programs and receive quality education. For this purpose,  dissemination of the Conditional Education Assistance Program to refugees who have come to our country from surrounding geographies  through forced migration, and programs such as the Support Program for School Enrollment are being carried out.”

Our Rector Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız expressed that "It is gratifying for us that the Education System Reinforcement Unit Manager of UNICEF Turkey, which provides significant support to the education of children in our country as well as in the world, is a graduate from our university" and finished his words as follows: “We hope that the conference will be effective, and that it will inspire stimulating work, especially among our teacher candidates, and we hope to contribute institutionally to UNICEF's work as a stakeholder through our Gazi  Education Faculty which is Turkey's most established faculty of education."

Speaking after our rector, former graduate of our University and UNICEF Turkey Education System Strengthening Unit Manager Assoc. Dr. Mehmet Buldu said, "UNICEF Turkey has been working to protect the rights of children and youth in Turkey since 1951." Stating that UNICEF continues its activities in 191 countries, Assoc. Dr. Mehmet Buldu underlined that UNICEF does not only work in the field of education.

UNICEF Turkey Education System Strengthening Unit Manager Assoc. Dr. Mehmet Buldu continued his speech as follows: “UNICEF’s country program focuses on the needs of the most vulnerable children living in Turkey in the fields of education, child protection, health, social policy, adolescence and youth, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.”

Stating that they closely follow the situation in children's rights, as UNICEF Turkey, Assoc. Dr. Mehmet Buldu explained that “We advocate the necessary changes in laws and system on this issue and we provide advice, technical and financial support to develop policies and partnerships related to children.”

Saying that "UNICEF Turkey will focus on efforts to find solutions to the learning crisis in Turkey between the years 2021-2025, in line with UNICEF's 2019-2030 global education strategic framework" Assoc. Dr. Mehmet Buldu added to his words that they attach importance to increasing access to inclusive and quality early childhood education.

The program ended with a question-answer session.