November 2010
E-MAGAZINEMONTHLY
Welcome By Rosemary Arnott - Director Turkey & Black Sea
Seventy years ago, when we
opened our office in Turkey, our Charter defined our overall purpose as ‘promoting abroad a wider appreciation of British culture and civilization by encouraging cultural educational and other interchanges between the United Kingdom and elsewhere’. This, essentially, is still the mission of the British Council, though there have, of course, been profound modernizing changes in our approach and partnerships, as well as major alterations in the way that we work as an organization which now has 220 offices in 110 countries and 7,400 employees. Put simply, the British Council exists to build trust between the UK and other countries. And Turkey isneedless to say- one of the most important countries in which we work. Our core work is cultural relations. What do we mean by
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this? We believe that cultural relations build international trust and understanding, generate opportunities for individuals to fulfill their potential, and foster the co-operation that contributes to a stable world. We believe that cultural relations are powerful- they promote co-exis tence, cooperation, mutual respect and understanding. We also strongly believe that in the cultural bond between the UK and Turkey, the UK has a great deal to learn from this relationship. Cultural relations work over the long term, protect diversity and individual identity and bring the people of the world closer together. We’re enormously proud of our seventy years working with Turkey. Our approach to cultural relations harnesses the power of education, the arts and creativity, sport, science, English and society to build relationships of
mutual benefit to the UK and Turkey, and to address the global issues of our day. Our vision says the world needs more cultural relations. Our purpose, here in Turkey, is to work with Turkish partners to respond to this challenge. And in this vein, we look forward enormously to embarking on our next seventy years working in Turkey.
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Welcome By Jeff Streeter, Director Operations British Council, Turkey
First of
all, I think it’s important to say how proud we all feel that we are celebrating 70 years in Turkey. This makes this one of the oldest British Council operations in the world – the organization celebrated its global 75th anniversary last year. Naturally, Turkey, the UK and indeed the whole world have all changed a lot since then. However, we feel the need for cultural relations is as strong as ever. Further evidence of this is the fact that Turkey now has its own cultural relations body, the Yunus Emre Institute. This seems to coincide with Turkey’s own growing prominence in the wider region and beyond. I would like take this opportunity to thank all our stakeholders and underline that the British Council remains very much committed to growth and to helping the relationship between Turkey and the UK to blossom and thrive. As British Council Turkey we have been conducting different projects on education, governance, science, culture and arts for 70 years. As the summer fades to autumn, British Council Turkey has been hosting a series of successful events and continues to embrace its stakeholders and audience on its 70th year. I would like to mention some of those events which achieved remarkable success and had impacts on developing intercultural dialogue. As part of the British Council’s Challenge Europe programme, The Climate Change Train departed from Greece and completed a two way journey between Turkey and Greece to raise awareness on climate. Also, as part of the Challenge Europe Programme, our “Frame Climate Change” photo competition has been carried out in Turkey. We brought Turkish celebrities together for the competition jury and partnered with Hurriyet.com.tr, the leading online news website in Turkey in order to increase the reach and the impact of the competition. The seventh Bosphorus Conference has been organized in cooperation with the EU Delegation to Turkey and the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) to facilitate a frank and honest debate on EU-Turkey relations. Another project that British Council Turkey has carried out in conjunction with the EU delegation is My City. The My City project has been designed as part of the European
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Commission’s Cultural Bridges Programme. The programme’s aim is to establish partnerships between cultural actors in Turkey and Europe and to raise awareness of and encourage debate about public art. The openings of the five artworks by European artists in five Turkish cities were attended by many prominent figures from Turkey and the rest of Europe. Looking ahead, we know that the next year or so will be very busy for us. It will see the final part of My City in 6 European cities. We will be exploring and forging other links between Turkey and the UK in the arts, including promotion of the burgeoning relationship in the creative industries. We look forward in 2011 to supporting once again the Independent Commission on Turkey, with our partners the Open Society Foundation. The Commission expects to publish its next report on the state of discussion and debate around Turkey’s EU Accession bid during that year. Our work in vocational education will also continue – in particular, working to build links between the employer and educators, as well as between our two countries. And the development of partnerships will be the key theme in our Higher Education work, as we see strong interest in both countries to develop such links. In addition, our International Inspirations project, run with a host of partners in Turkey and the UK, will seek to develop vital life skills, including leadership, among young people in Turkey and the UK through the medium of sport. Teacher training, support for learners of English via the internet and collaboration with experts involved in the preparation of English materials and curricula will all continue to feature in the work we do to support the use of the English language, as well as the provision of internationally-benchmarked examinations – including IELTS - to provide opportunities for students of all ages to prove their level of proficiency in the language. Shortage of space does not allow me to mention all of our forthcoming activities in Turkey, but I hope this brief summary will give you the flavour of how we will begin the next 70 years in Turkey – building partnerships and collaborations with the UK which we hope will be of mutual and lasting benefit.
E-MAGAZINEMONTHLY November 2010
What we do... Our activities - in society, arts, science, sports, English teaching, climate change and education – create stronger relations, g reater trust and understanding between Turkey and the UK. The connection through cultural relations builds the trust and understanding. It supports the international networks and joint cooperation needed to tackle some of the global challenges facing us all from economic crises to climate change. Cultural relations can help us find ways of living together, as global citizens, for a better future for all. The British Council is the UK's main cultural relations agency which has been working in Turkey
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continuously since 1940. Our work gives people - both in Turkey and the UK - opportunities to learn, share and connect worldwide. Many people each year learn English, and go to study in the UK through the British Council. We connect many more through academic and cultural links, and through community-building activities in areas like school-linking, climate change, science and entrepreneurship. Read all the projects on our 70th year anniversary.
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Teacher Training By Raymond Kerr, Teacher Development Manager Turkey
“The spectacular growth of online teacher development courses for teachers of English across Turkey and the SEE region” T h e l a u n c h o f i n n ov a t i v e t e a c h e r development courses from 2009 is bringing teachers of English together across Turkey and the South East Europe for the first time in the British Council’s history. Online teacher development courses started with Turkey’s very own English Teacher Training Online (ETTO) course in 2008 in partnership with the Turkish Ministry of Education on the pilot course with 60 Turkish primary teachers of English. Since then, the demand from teachers for online teacher development courses has risen steadily across the Black Sea cluster countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine together with Turkey on the very first multinational online primary teacher development courses in the region. Over the last two years, the British Council Online Global Products for teachers of English have been rolled out and added to the online course portfolio on offer. Led and supported by the ELT Team in Turkey, Primary Essentials, TKT and Learning Technologies for the Classroom were rolled out across the 18 countries in the SEE region in September 2010. It is the first of its kind for teachers of English in South East Europe and this online initiative is
The photo on the left shows our teachers Raymond Kerr and Suzanne Mordue awarded by Turkish Ministry of Education.
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already being recognized by ministries in several countries: 'This is a significant initiative because it will add value to the decree of the president of A z e r b a i j a n o n p rov i d i n g s c h o o l s w i t h communication and information technologies,’ said Gulshan Huseynova, Programmes Manager, Azerbaijan. Online teacher development courses have also received backing from the Ministry of Education and Science in Ukraine where the Minister has emphasized the need for qualified teachers who have the skills to help young people learn a foreign language. The online teacher development courses are moderated online by qualified e-moderators based in the region who guide the teachers taking part through the online courses. We are reaching teachers across 18 countries through online courses that would never have been able to engage in teacher development courses unless they were face-to-face courses. Raymond Kerr, Teacher Development Manager, Turkey
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The universal language of science encourages mutual understanding By Özlem Gökalp, Science and Climate Change Projects Manager
The British Council’s vision for science foresees “widespread recognition of the role of science and technology in helping to extend our understanding of the world and develop imaginative solutions to shared problems”. Science provides a common platform for the collaboration and discussion that brings people together across cultural divides. The universal language of science encourages the mutual understanding essential for a more secure, peaceful and economically prosperous world. Within this context, last year, BC Turkey Science programme launched its “Challenge Europe” project aspiring to have a definite and lasting impact on the Climate Change debate last year, and hopefully accelerating change towards a low carbon future. Challenge Europe involves 15 countries across Europe including Turkey. In each of the participating countries, around 15 young people from all walks of life are selected to become Climate Advocates who work together to identify key areas in which they think that they can make a real difference. Turkish Climate Advocates designed projects to raise the awareness and understanding of the general public.
“Capture Climate Change” Photo Competition/ Exhibition" Climate Train, a joint project with Greek Climate Advocates, came from Thessalonika to Istanbul Climate Arena, an exciting discussion platform by climate experts
C l i m at e A d vo c at e s, c a m e f ro m prepared by the British Council as a Thessalonica to Istanbul. part of series of activities organized to Climate Arena, an exciting discussion commemorate the bicentenary of platfor m by climate experts; In D a r w i n’s b i r t h a n d t h e 1 5 0 t h secondary schools – Youth Climate anniversary of the first appearance of Talks and In the business sector – A his book. “On the Origin of Species” was also in our portfolio of activities in website www.cevreyihesabakat.com. 2010. We work together with partners in academic, media and civil society – In Turkey, the exhibition toured cities such as UNDP, ITU, World Bank and displayed in 14 centres ranging Institute, European Commission, from science centres to universities and schools reaching an audience of 17.000 Hurriyet.com.tr, Bahçeşehir University, and attracting spectacular media METU - to maximise the coverage and coverage. Moreover, an educational the reach of all these projects which will activity pack was introduced to teachers continue in 2011. We are also of science at a workshop which ran in committed to leading new partnership with university teacher environmental work in the areas of training departments, where local “Capture Climate Change” Photo energy (as national policy, energy prominent speakers in the field shared Competition/Exhibition" and Climate protection etc. as well as sustainable and their experience with a larger group Train, a joint project with Greek renewable energy) in the coming around the teaching of evolution. months. “Darwin Now” exhibition was
We work in partnership with scientists, engineers and research managers. We also promote awareness of science innovation with exhibitions, debates, and seminars. Learn about our projects in the field of Science & Climate
DISCOVER THE WORLD AROUND YOU THROUGH SCIENCE!
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E-MAGAZINEMONTHLY November 2010
Rivers and Legacy By John Bramwell, Director Education and Skills
It took the children’s voice from a small urban primary school in Istanbul to spark a debate about establishing a brand new annual festival in Istanbul using the Bosphorus as its inspiration, to host art exhibitions on the ferries that criss-cross the waterway, and to build long standing connections with UK ‘river schools’. The six schools in Istanbul chosen to take part in the British Council’s Rivers of the World project, as part of the Thames festival this year, can hardly be said to exude affluence and largesse – nor had they expected to ever have the chance to connect internationally with counterparts in London. But what they lack in basic resources more than make up for in imagination, ideas and enthusiasm. They built an expression of their pride in their city and its ‘river’ from the humblest of origins, through the crafts and skills of their country in oils, tiles and fabrics, to displays on the Thames embankment. Not content with presenting stunning art work, they insisted that this should ‘not end here’, and it should ‘not be just us’ – and they had plenty to tell us about what we should do. Far beyond the project’s own ideas about curriculum links and classroom connections, the children wanted this to be the beginning of something more substantial, and with a clear legacy, in Istanbul. Their voices were heard in the corridors of power in Istanbul, and the Ministry of Education are now working with the British Council in Turkey to respond.
“Sometimes the smallest voices make the loudest noise!”
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The ministry has allocated a team of 5 staff to support this development, key members of the echelons of power are involved and there is a weight of activity now that will take the charge forward. If these ideas bear fruit, and I truly hope they will, there will be an opportunity to build a depth of experience and excitement in Istanbul. New schools every year will be added to the connection, school curricula will be enhanced, not just in art but in a full range of subject areas, and whole communities will be involved and engaged. In a complex and socially challenging environment like Istanbul it is no mean feat to unite to a common purpose. The children might just have given us a key to one very important doorway. We may pride ourselves on our convening abilities, and the skills we proffer in management and organisation, but we must never forget the importance of listening – especially to the smallest of voices. In 2011 we will bring the exhibition back to Istanbul – and yes, by hook or by crook we will display their work through the ferries. I hope too that these young ‘ambassadors of vision’ can take pride of place at the new Bosphorous festival in the city – they deserve nothing less. Semra Yalcin - writing on behalf of the children of A ş a ğ ı Dudullu Primary School ,Cengelkoy 4 Murat Primary School, Eyüp Rami Primary School, Münevver Şefík Fergar Primary School, Recaizade Ekrem Primary School, Üsküdar Altunizade, and Hafize Özal Primary Education School
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About Our Society Projects By Seda Mumcu, Head of Governance & Society
Wo r t h y o f m e n t i o n a r e “ S t r a t e g y Development to Increase Employment of Women”; “Strategic Planning and Management in Public Administration Reform”; “Improving Inter-agency Cooperation and Coordination within the Child Protection System”; “Media and Diversity”; “Euroskills”; “Prevention of Honour Crimes”; “Training for Judges and Prosecutors”; and “Prison Reform”. Below is an account of our current portfolio of projects: We have recently started a project on “Social Entrepreneurship” in order to introduce the concept and models of social entrepreneurship practiced in the UK so as to contribute to positive social change and economic development in Turkey. Our aim is to raise awareness of government officials, CSOs and the private sector. We have set an agenda in this area with all the seminars that we have delivered and smaller meetings that we have held. Our other partner
Within the scope of this project, we plan to run university debates affiliated with the “Exhibition of Evliya Celebi: Seyahatname” in different parts of Anatolia. We will also focus on youth with a sub-project initiative called “My Imaginative Journey”. We are also planning a global project called “International Inspiration” which aims to create a model of schools and community environment in Turkey where sports, physical activity and play will be effectively used by all parts of the community to empower and socially include children and young people. This project represents the social legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games, and will be implemented in 3 pilot cities. We are supporting the new report of the “Independent Commission on Turkey (ICT)” which was formed in 2004 by a group of former prominent EU statesmen and stateswomen. The ICT was established with the support of the Open Society Foundation and the British Council in
TUSEV is committed to continue working in this area and continues lobbying for the development of this field in Turkey. We have also established a Social Entrepreneurship Academy in Kadir Has University in partnership with Youth Services Centre. This was crowned by a protocol signed with the Governorship of Bolu where the British Council will provide training to Bolu NGOs to establish their own SEs and the Governorship of Bolu will provide funding for this purpose. The growing mutual mistrust between Muslim communities and the wider European society is one of the major cultural challenges facing Europe today, and we are responding to that challenge by a project called “Our Shared Europe”. The project seeks to find common ground, and build shared values, perspectives and behaviors based on mutual respect and trust.
order to examine arguments and to explore the potential benefits and challenges of Turkey’s membership to the EU, thereby stimulating a more balanced, objective and informed debate in Europe about Turkish accession. Closely linked to the ICT initiative and in line with our objective of creating opportunities for open and informed debate about Turkey’s EU accession process, we also host the annual “Bosphorus Conference”. This is the seventh annual conference and aims to discuss issues relevant to Turkey’s EU accession in a frank and off-the-record platform with the participation of senior politicians, academics, think tank members, media professionals, bureaucrats, business people and NGO representatives both from Turkey and Europe; and to develop recommendations for progress in this process.
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Buoyancy Control Device - BC By Rouzben GERGERİ, Vice Chair of Istanbul Catering Industrialist and Chairman of Education Committee
One of my favorite hobbies is Turkish Folk Dances, followed by free diving. Diving equipment consists of a tube, a regulator, flippers, a snorkel, and BCD, the Buoyancy Control Device. Among divers, BCD is shortly referred to as “BC” and helps the diver keep balance underwater. Coincidentally, the “BC”, which is a must for any diving, took on a whole new meaning when British Council Turkey took over the same functions as the buoyancy control device as a serious element of balance in our lives. O u r fi r s t meeting with British Council was in the December of 2008. Since then, it has provided the balance and acted as a catalyst in all our activities between YESİDEF and MONE. What impressed me most with regard to British Council was the connection between its employees. While carrying out our projects, we had the opportunity to meet with officials in Ankara, Istanbul and London, and we saw that they had a very strong connection and very good relationships among each other. When there are such strong ties between the employees of an institution, it is impossible for that institution to fail regardless of what challenges and adversities it may face in its projects. They took care of even the smallest detail during our project implementation, and they always had a positive approach, which really motivated us. It even made us feel at home during the study trips abroad. I would like to take this opportunity to share a memory, which has left a deep impression on me, from our joint project. In 2010, we went on a study visit to London with British Council, MONE and YESİDEF. During our stay, we found the opportunity to study onsite the vocational training and qualifications system in the UK. What impressed me most was our visit to the
Westminster College. The dean was very hospitable and friendly. He gave us lots of information on the school and the system. It was most interesting to learn that the school’s annual budget was 10,000,000 Pounds, half of which was covered by the state and the remaining half from their own activities. The school had two cafeterias, in both of which students worked. The annual revenues of the cafeterias amounted to 600,000 Pounds. It was an incredible figure. The school was operating like a company, making enormous contributions to the school’s annual budget, and doing all these together with its students. Acknowledging that it was an example worth further exploration, I think that we should work more, hand in hand as industrialists and educators. At a time when vocational training is gaining momentum in our country, I believe achieving this will not be too hard. With sincere wishes for the continuation of our projects with British Council, I extend my thanks to everyone involved.
Wednesday Workshops By Simon Mumford, Teacher Trainer
I took over the running of the ELT Wednesday Workshops in 2000 and organized them until last year. The programme was entirely voluntary, and we depended on people giving their
time and expertise for free. Presenters were British Council trainers, heads of department, young, first time speakers, anyone we could persuade. Memorable workshops for me were a session on speaking activities presented by a blind teacher, and a workshop on using toys with adults, and we have had many presentations over the years-conventional and not so conventional. The success of the workshops can be simply stated: we
never had a speaker not show up, a technical problem that was not be overcome, and we had between 5 and 50 participants for every session.
A hard to believe dream: the Chevening Scholarship By Füsun Tavus Sönmez (1996-1997 University of Surrey / Msc in Management)
General Coordinator, TIM Show Center W h e n studying at the Faculty of Political Sciences of A n k a r a U n i v e r s i t y, taking part in a master’s programme in the UK was a far-fetched dream... until a friend of mine told me about British Council’s Chevening Scholarship programme. It was 14 years ago, yet I remember it as if it were yesterday, how I thought it would be very difficult for me to qualify for this scholarship “that covered all educational costs and even gave you your pocket money”. And then I made it! In 1996-1997, I completed my masters programme in management at the University of Surrey with the Chevening scholarship. “Studying in the UK is not only an academic experience, but also an experience of life” Studying in the UK was an experience that vastly added not only to my academic knowledge but also to my life experiences. I made a lot of friends from all around the world who had also come thanks to the Chevening scholarship. They were all bright students in their fields. After returning to my country, my master’s degree and my background of having studied in the UK in a highly cultured environment gave me many advantages in my professional life. Our ties with British Council Tu r k e y a n d o t h e r C h e v e n i n g Scholarship students were never severed. At the alumni reunions we organize at least four times a year, we meet new scholarship students and we exchange memories with the old ones. And my friend who had first told me about the Chevening Schlarship has become one of my best friends.
E-MAGAZINEMONTHLY November 2010
How I met British Council? By Ali Ercan Özgür, Executive Director, American Business Forum in Turkey (ABFT)
My first introduction to British Council was during my secondary school years. We participated in their English tests such as KET-PET. In later years, we met again when I was at university. Youth projects, social work and, of course, scholarship opportunities held an important place in the future plans we made during our university years. My first close contact with British Council came when I was elected as the youth representative to work at a non-governmental organization for a global project titled “Connecting Futures”. The Project aimed at bringing people closer with highly enjoyable dreams. Under the project, we visited Belfast in Northern Ireland, Southampton and London, where we had enjoyable meetings for two whole weeks. Our first visit to the parliament and our lunch with the parliamentarians on the banks of the River Thames were, looking back, quite impressive experiences for a 22-year old. During these trips, I found the opportunity to get to know the British Council closer and become familiar with the UK and its culture. Studying in the UK is always a much desired, much dreamed of phenomenon; but many of my friends going there with no foreknowledge of life in the UK found it hard to adapt. These two weeks opened a door for me to learn about the system and culture of living in the UK. After the project, I decided that the UK was going to be my choice for post-graduate study. Of course, this choice was strengthened by the fact that the UK offered the opportunity to major in my particular areas of interest, such as “local development, governance, international development” along with many options for minor programs. In those days, I was working as an international relations coordinator at Youth for Habitat on a voluntary basis. We worked on many social entrepreneurship and youth development projects. One of our colleagues at the Association had qualified for the Chevening scholarship the year before. When I went to the UK and met someone working in the area of development with this scholarship, I decided to give it a try. There were no other institutions with this vision. Truth be told, in those days, taking an interest in subjects such as civil society and youth development was something that was foreign to many institutions and even my school and my friends. After the challenging interviews following our application, what I felt was an indescribable happiness when I heard that I had won the scholarship. What made me happiest was the knowledge that my work in the area of civil society could continue in the coming years. It was a chance given and an expression of trust in the works being done. I still believe that it was the Chevening scholarship that opened this pathway. Then, problem-free UK days started. I started my master’s program at the International Development Department of the Birmingham University in an area I had always desired: “Governance and Development Management”. And this was not the end of my luck. The tuition also covered a field trip to Paraguay. Such an experience surpassed any plan I could come up with for the summer. After two challenging semesters, getting assignments in on time and the arduous
final exams, I increased my academic and practical knowledge in the field of development, poverty and governance with a field study in Paraguay. The biggest advantage of my department was that it had highly experienced students, especially from underdeveloped and developing countries. Course contents enriched with workshops were transformed into vast pools of knowledge with the Pakistani Regional Governor, the former Ethiopian Director General of Police or an economist from the Mexican World Bank Office or the Swaziland Foreign Affairs Undersecretary sharing their experiences. For me, still at the beginning of the career ladder, these opportunities and experiences still find their way into my working life and I continue to learn and refresh my knowledge. The United Kingdom, known as a cold country when looked from outside, is in fact a land of rich culture and arts, which I realized only after spending some time there. I also found the UK to be an enjoyable and fun country where everyone knows their football. I cannot thank the British Council enough and the Chevening Scholarship for having given me this special experience and many friends from all around the world with whom I still keep in touch
E-MAGAZINEMONTHLY November 2010
Strategy Development to Increase Employment of Women By Aysen Karakulak Directorate General of the Turkish Employment Agency Project Coordinator
I have always believed in the synergy of projects starting as a small-scale work. The target is always clear and achievable. The project team focuses more comfortably on the target. You experience a universal relationship of sharing with another language that brings the whole team together, and usually, success is achieved. When dear Selin Yaşamış from British Council came to talk to us on the feasibility of a project with ISKUR (Turkish Employment Agency), I was sure that we were laying the foundation for an outstanding work. ISKUR works with an increased sensitivity on increasing employment of women and improving gender equality within the scope of efforts to ensure harmonization with the EU acquis in the membership process of our country. Our project was based on this foundation. It was decided to make a plan/strategy crosscutting the existing awareness and efforts, and create a project that would highlight the ongoing efforts, put a name to them, raise awareness on social gender and define the social gender concept for the labour market. A “Core Strategy Team” of 10 ISKUR officials was set up to execute the project. Many issues that we could not foresee at the beginning of the project started to take shape in time; in other words, as a
team, we determined and carried out the project together, sharing all the phases of it. We became one big family with British Council and our interpreters, Işıl and Ayşegül. We thought together, we grieved together; we shared our concerns and joys. We received unbelievable energy and information from our experts, Dr. Marylin Thomson, Dr. Angelina Coyle and Dr. Yıldız Ecevit. As a result of this exchange of information and experiences, we came up with big dreams for an ISKUR that is sensitive to women’s employment and social gender equality. Some of these dreams, we transformed into an action and strategy plan, depending on their feasibility. The plans we created were offered as project outputs together with the “Handbook of Social Gender Equality in the Labour Market” (İşgücü Piyasasında Toplumsal Cinsiyet Eşitliği El Kitabı) prepared by our esteemed expert Dr. Yıldız Ecevit, and were shared with relevant public and private agencies and organizations and non-governmental organizations with a beautiful meeting held on 25 February 2010 with the participation of relevant ministries. It gave us great honour and joy to see these outputs used in many other projects. Beyond all these, the most important thing for me was the sharing, the knowledge we acquired and the dreams we created; because I know and believe that my friends in the project team will do their best to make these dreams come true. the course on Media and Child, developed with UNICEF, and I still design surveys and research on this subject.
E-MAGAZINEMONTHLY November 2010
Media and Diversity’ Project - Same Age as My Daughter By Prof. Mine Gencel Bek, Ankara University, Faculty of Communication
The Media and Diversity Project, in which I was involved as a researcher and a consultant, is a work I value as much as the books and articles I have produced in my academic career of 20 years. With this project, I was able to reach beyond academic boundaries, establish direct contact with media professionals and NGOs, contribute to the production of principles of ethics, and feel that I had the potential to affect how the media operates, all of which were very exciting to me. But taking my cue from the question asking me for ‘memories that have left their marks on me’, I would like to share the more personal aspects of the project. British Council’s “Media and Diversity” project is the same age as my daughter, Bahar. Right after starting this project together with our coordinators Esra Çanakçı and Seda Mumcu, I got pregnant with Bahar, my daughter of 4.5 years. It was a bit unfortunate that our visits to media organizations and NGOs were accompanied by my pregnancy nausea. I was so into it that the night before my Csection, I sent Esra my report summarizing the research results. Bahar was barely forty days old when we headed off to Istanbul for a press conference where we shared the research results. It was Bahar’s first flight and I was quite worried. At the end of the press conference, held at the Fe r i ye Restaurant, and also during any interval I could find, I fed Bahar. It was exciting, Bahar having the first hotel experience of her less-than-twomonths old life at Pera Palas, in that it symbolized the meeting of the new and the historical (though, the hotel had not yet been renovated in those days and the floorboards creaked at the slightest provocation, which, I might add, often caused Bahar to start crying). Since I had given my word before my pregnancy, I had made it my responsibility to get everything running according to the initial working plan. The study visit to the UK with media managers and editors was the only activity I backed out of. Yet, beyond the promises made, what was really important was that I had deeply embraced the project. Of course, I am almost a workaholic and I had had no clue about raising a baby until the birth. As the day of the birth approached, I carried tons of articles and books from my office at the university to home, thinking that I would be writing articles and reading books during my maternity leave.
Of course, none of them got read, and none of the articles got written. The Media and Diversity project was my only work in that period. After the delivery, Esra visited me at home to discuss the details of the press conference, during which Seda also accompanied to babysit Bahar, which showed that my friends at the British Council Turkey were more farsighted then me, who had insisted that “of course we can hold a meeting”. As a result, I enjoyed every step of this project, which is as old as my daughter. I think the British Council staff has managed to find a perfect balance, which I have not seen anywhere else: they work diligently, everything gets done meticulously, and they really care about human relations with participants. In the end, outstanding work is done in a warm and friendly atmosphere. Of the elements included in the Media and Diversity project, I have been researching social gender and cultural identities for a long time. Through this project, the subject of mediachild relations, which I had started to take an interest in at research level, became more involved through scanning national and inter national codes of ethics in the area for the workshop (coinciding with the sad day we h e a rd a b o u t t h e assassination of Hrant Dink) during and after which we developed the theme, it became my new teaching and research area with the added effect of my sensitivity to the subject following motherhood. I still teach the post-graduate students of the Ankara University Faculty of Communication the course on Media and Child, developed with UNICEF, and I still design surveys and research on this subject. Happy Birthday !
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E-MAGAZINEMONTHLY November 2010
A Year in London: “Please Mind the Gap between the Train and the Platform By Pelin KUZEY, Deputy Head, Ministry of Finance, Department of European Union and External Affairs,
When I got my hands on British Council’s scholarship announcement, it was in September of 2002. Can there be any better opportunity, I said to myself. I would be able to distance myself from where I had been working for the last 3 years, and I would have the opportunity to do some academic work in a beautiful country in an area I love. Who knew what kind of memories I would be bringing back. I would be studying with lots of people from different countries and I would get myself a nice diploma. As I passed each phase of the scholarship grant process, the happiness in me began to increase. In February, I was over the moon when British Council phoned me to say I had received the scholarship. Next came selecting the school and the programme. The University of London School of Oriental And African StudiesDevelopment Studies was where I chose to apply, and after 15 days, I received their affirmative reply, which made everything clearer in my mind. I applied to the school’s hall of residence. I got some information on the UK in general and London in particular from friends who had been there before on the British Council Chevening Scholarship. While waiting for the London flight that would take me to Heathrow, I listened to stories on the UK from people, all happy and all unique. Then the big day arrived. In the afternoon of the 24th of August, I arrived in London. With my all my luggage, I had my first tube experience to reach the hall of residence in a country I did not know. And I did not yet know that the war ning announcement I heard at every stop would bring a smile on my face every time I heard it later: “Please mind the gap between the train and the platform”. On my first weekend, the school’s orientation program had not yet started, and I noticed a hand-written note on the entrance door of the residence hall. It was the birthday of one of the students and she was inviting everyone to her birthday party in the community
hall. That night, I had the opportunity to meet many new people, most of whom I later learned were taking the same classes with me. I also met a lot of British Council Chevening Scholarship students, both from Turkey and other countries. Tens of students, all from different ages, colours, languages and cultures. This riot of colours alone was enough to make me feel dizzy. In addition to the school’s comfortable environment, the classes, the way instructors addressed the classes, and the seminars which did not allow us to nap in a corner, there was no end to London’s arts and cultural activities. It offered us an environment where you could fill every single minute of your day with something memorable. I can say that our first homework assignments were stressful for all of us. We had access to all the libraries of the University of London, so finding reference books was no problem. Through these home assignments, we quit rote learning and started to seek solutions to the problems of the world, while reading from academic sources arguing an issue from the perspective of different viewpoints, in an attempt to develop our own thoughts and how best to phrase them. This process taught me that our own interpretations and ideas are at least as important as those of globally renowned academics whose papers we were reading, and that it takes a tremendous amount of time and effort to create something original. Time was passing quickly, but we were never static. Our weekend schedules were full with musicals, concerts, movie nights organized by the school, and London museums with their doors open to everyone with no requirement to pay any fee. The British Museum’s café right next to the school was one of my favourite places. It became a habit of mine to walk to Covent Garden after school, grab something to eat and then go to a musical or a movie. Famous musicians from all around the world were coming and all you had to do was get hold of one of the tickets put on sale months before the concert. On the other hand, our life at the hall of residence was also going great. It was
enjoyable to get to know different cuisines, sharing what we cooked and exploring different spices and flavours. Dinner tables were always fun and always accompanied by some heated discussions. Coming from different countries and continents, we all had a lot of things to learn from each other. During this process, we saw that although we all came from different cultures and geographies, essentially, we all contemplated similar issues and we were not different from each other at all. This must have been what they call unity in diversity. Although we were living different lives with very different prospects, we all shared one common ground. Finally, the classes ended and we submitted our dissertations and started to prepare for our return. Just as I had had no difficulties adjusting to the UK, returning to Turkey was no big issue for me. Following one year of education, Ankara and my working life welcomed me warmly. I found myself in an environment where I could transfer my academic experiences to my professional life. In the following days, I had the opportunity to meet the other scholarship students in Ankara, thanks to the contributions of British Council, so we managed to keep in touch. After exactly one year, we set off to London for our graduation ceremony. We were as excited as we had been on our first trip to the UK. London, the most cosmopolitan city in the world, embraced us as if we had never left, and London once again crowned its place in our hearts. And that is the account of my one year in the UK as a British Council Chevening scholarship student. Despite all the years that have spent since, everything I remember from those days puts a big smile on my face, and it is my fervent wish that the younger generation will also be able to have this unique experience. Thank you, British Council!
E-MAGAZINEMONTHLY November 2010
What British Council means to me... By Ceyhun Göcenoğlu, Former Business Relations and Bosphorus Conference Project Manager, British Council Turkey
To me, British Council basically means two things. Firstly, it is the institution that granted me a scholarship to study in the UK; secondly, it is where I have been working since July 2007. There are three questions I remember from my interview for the Chevening scholarship: • What have you done to date? • Why the UK? • What do you want to do when you return? My answers were as simple as the questions: • I have worked for the development of civil society and private sector collaboration. • There is a good system and order in place in the UK in this area. • I want to set up an association working in this area when I return. My first adventure started on 21 September 2003 between my academic development at Birkbeck College, the Wilton Park Conferences, the Chatham House meetings, my company visits, and my efforts to enrich my one-year post-graduate studies in the UK and enjoy London. I must say that London has a unique flavour. It is a mixture of British, a bit European, a bit Asian and a bit American. Its richness lies in various aspects of life such as arts and food that add flavour and colour to life with the atmosphere created by an abundance of different cultures was proof that it is not only due to its finance sector that Britain, and London in particular, is considered a global hub. Thai and Italian cuisine, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers concert at Hyatt Park, the musical Les Misérables at the Royal Albert Hall, the Chinese New Year, Brazilian parties, my beloved Besiktas beating Chelsea in London … On returning to Turkey, I kept my promise and made my dreams come true by establishing the Corporate Social Responsibility Association of Turkey, which is celebrating its fifth year today. Afterwards, the Network Effect meetings in Istanbul and Tallinn, at which I represented my Association, provided me with a much needed
internship for what I was likely to encounter in the second phase. This second phase started in July 2007 when I began working at British Council, and is still continuing. During this phase, I participated in, managed, supported, watched, got acquainted with and introduced many projects and activities on numerous interesting topics such as social responsibility, entrepreneurship, higher education, art in public space, intercultural dialogue, social entrepreneurship, vocational training, equal opportunities and diversity, creative industries, communicating science, and climate change. During this three-year period, I saw that different topics acting independently actually focussed around a common foundation. The common aspect of all of these topics was that they all contributed to an ongoing cultural and economic development and enrichment not only of the Turkish and British societies but also in all areas of interaction between Turkey and the UK. This interaction and mutual relationship grew larger and larger on a platform not only hosting the purely
intellectual discussions that are needed, but also producing the tools that contribute to building the experience, knowledge and competencies that can increase the potentials of individuals, by transforming these intellectual discussions into practice and turning them into something with tangible, solid results. On this ever-expanding platform, as someone who was first on the affected and then the affecting side, I would like to share with you the joy and honour I feel for being part of an interaction and transformation that has been going on for the last 70 years. I believe that these interactions will grow and shoot forth with the endeavours, experiences and contributions of those dedicated to a common vision for a better and more peaceful world.
E-MAGAZINEMONTHLY November 2010
Two events explore the dialogue between Turkey and the rest of Europe Two events explore the dialogue between Turkey and the rest of Europe” Chair Vernon Ellis. How can culture and arts add value to dialogue between Turkey and the rest of Europe? This question was at the centre of two major events organised by the British Council Turkey last week, the annual Bosphorus Conference and the international launch of the My City project. Vernon Ellis, Chair of the British Council, was in Turkey to experience at first hand these two major events, emphasising to the audience of the Bosphorus Conference that : “Building trust and providing opportunities are at the heart of what the British Council aims to do.” ‘EU and Turkey – Shaping the Future’ was this year’s theme; ‘How are Turkey and the EU working together to compete in global markets?’ and ‘How can Turkey and the EU increase the level of cooperation on foreign policy?’ were some of the questions highlighted during the seventh Bosphorus Conference where high-level guests involved in the EU debate discussed the past, present and future of EU-Turkey relations. The conference was held on the European side of the city, overlooking Asia across the stream of water that gives the event its name, now an established brand name. In another event, spectacular outdoor art works by leading contemporary artists were unveiled to the glare of international media attention in five cities across Turkey. They were the products of over one year of dedication and inspiration by artists from Turkey and Europe. As part of the EU-Turkey Civil Society Dialogue: Cultural Bridges programme funded by the EU, My City gets underneath the arguments about Turkey’s relationship with Europe through residencies in EU countries by artists from Turkey and commissions for large-scale new work in public spaces in Turkey by artists from Austria, Finland, Germany, Poland and the UK. Honest and open dialogue The Bosphorus Conference allowed off-the-record, frank discussions among senior politicians, diplomats, academics, and the brains behind influential think tanks, in both Turkey and Europe; with the only part open to the media being the reception and the first hour of the conference. The event was organised in partnership with the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey and the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation. The reception in the British Consulate General in Istanbul welcomed the guests, including David Reddaway, British Ambassador to Turkey; Lech Walesa, Former President of Poland and Member of the EU Reflection Group; David Lidington MP, the UK’s Minister of State responsible for European issues and NATO; and Egemen Bağış, Turkey’s Minister for EU Affairs and EU
Chief Negotiator delivering speeches to the guests on the emerging picture of the economic integration of the EU and Turkey. Some of the overarching themes were the crucial role of Turkey in the future of EU, an urgent need to stop dwelling on the past, and the advantages of Turkey’s EU accession in tackling terrorism and Islamophobia. While Marc Pierini, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey, asserted that, “This year the accession process is not only about diplomacy, but also about business and culture,” both journalist Mehmet Ali Birand and Lidington MP mentioned “Islamophobia” as the “real issue affecting people in Turkey’s EU accession.” Ahmet Davutoğlu, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered the closing speech, “If Turkey becomes a member of EU through this democratic transformation process; this will promote global peace in Middle East, in Balkans, everywhere.” Ellis’s words perhaps best summarised the sentiments, “Honest and open dialogue is a key to a good relation between Turkey and rest of Europe.” Touring five cities for My City Public areas are a shared and contested space in any country and Turkey is no exception, so the realisation of major outdoor art works in Konya, Mardin, Çanakkale, Trabzon and Istanbul has been fraught with risks and challenges to be overcome by the My City project team at British Council Turkey. Last week’s opening tour of these five cities for a group of about fifty journalists and arts professionals from several countries was an example of the power of this project to change perceptions and shift the parameters of the debate about Turkey and Europe. The mayors of two of the cities where the last week’s opening celebrations were organised proclaimed “their” artists to be honorary citizens: Polish artist Joanna Rajkowska in Konya and British artist Mark Wallinger in Çanakkale. My City is a European project with the British Council at its heart, identifying us with an imaginative, exciting and professional approach to the i n t e n s e bu t s o m e t i m e s difficult relationship between Turkey and the EU. It also deepens and strengthens the UK’s bilateral relations with Turkey and demonstrates the British commitment to the EU. Alongside the core team i n Tu rk ey, t h e p ro j e c t includes British Council colleagues in each of the five other countries.
E-MAGAZINEMONTHLY November 2010
NEWS&ANNOUNCEMENTS 7 Stories 7 Photos
Our Blog is Online!
My City Opening Tour
We would like to see 70 years British Council Turkey story from your eyes and read from your letters. What do you think about sharing your moments, which intersected with us, by the photos in your cameras and your memories? We look forward to receiving your photos and stories for placing in our “7 stories 7 photos” section which we organize for our 70th annivesary.
British Council used many different ways of communication in Turkey in the recent years. Due to the growth of internet and online social communication, we now want to get closer to you with our Blog. Read the latest latest information about British Council Turkey and have your say. We regularly update our blogs as our Facebook page, twitter and other social community
Opening Tour of My City, which is being launched as part of the European Commission’s Cultural Bridges Programme, has been completed. 21 October: Mardin - Konya
22 October: Çanakkale - Trabzon 23 October: İstanbul Projects are open for the visitors within 3 months. For more information please visit My City website .
Frame It! Climate Change Photo Competition Deadline is 27.12.2010. Find out how you can apply!
Climate Arena Climate Arena events are running under the umbrella of 'CLIMATE CHANGE' Programme. Climate Arena debates are joint initiative between British Council, UNJP (UN joint programmes) and Delegation of European Union to Turkey - Information Centre. The programme is: October 2010
Konya, Diyarbakır
November 2010
Van, Trabzon
December 2010
Eskişehir, Gaziantep
January 2010
Mersin, Şanlıurfa
February 2010
Denizli, İstanbul
Find out how you can take part >>
platforms. Do not forget to check our blog!
7th Bosphorus Conference Bosphorus Conference was held 22-23 October 2010 this year by the collaboration with Delegation of the European Union to Turkey and TESEV. Gala dinner was organized at 22 October in "Pera House" the British Consulate General Istanbul. Seminar and discussions took place at Feriye Restaurant the next day. 5 ministries and high-level bureaucrats attended to series of seminars and discussions. To read the report of conference, please visit the related web pages. You can find the photo album of Bosphorus Conference on our flickr page.
"Frame It!" Climate Change Photo Competition” Winners of "Frame It" competition took their awards by the special ceremony which was held at Kadir Has University on 28 September. Photos were evaluated in 2 different categories which were standard and manipulated: You can visit this link to see the exhibited photos.
E-MAGAZINEMONTHLY November 2010
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