"NGOs at the University" Project closing program was held

The "NGOs at the University" project, in which non-governmental organizations are empowered with academic knowledge and offer innovative solutions to social problems, completed its successful journey with the closing program. The project, which was supported by the Ministry of Interior General Directorate of Civil Society Relations and implemented by the Amasya Federation of Associations (ADEF), was carried out in cooperation with Üsküdar University and Haydi Tut Elimi Association. The closing program, hosted by Üsküdar University, provided an opportunity to evaluate the outputs of the project and inspired future cooperation projects.

The closing program held at Üsküdar University Central Campus Nermin Tarhan conference hall attracted great interest.

Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: "As Üsküdar University, we have always supported projects"

Delivering the opening speech of the program, Üsküdar University Founding Rector Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan emphasized that civil society projects should be sustainable. Tarhan; "NGOs are social capital. Social capital is as important as monetary capital. The better you manage monetary capital, the more it grows. Especially since we live in the age of communication, people with rich social networks can explain their work better. In other words, if the good work you do is worth one-third, two-thirds is your ability to tell others about it. In other words, it is important to make it visible, applicable and sustainable both personally and socially. Therefore, in order for this project to be sustainable, it is also beneficial to take secondary and tertiary steps. As Üsküdar University, we have always supported such projects."

"We need to succeed in modernization by preserving our own culture"

Reminding that NGOs should attach importance to human development activities, Tarhan said; "We currently call the investments made in stone and soil as culture. They are tangible culture. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism should not work like the Ministry of Museums. It should invest in people. In other words, it should also build people. It is temporary to build buildings without building people. At that moment we deceive ourselves. For this reason, NGOs need to work on raising people. We need to succeed in modernization while preserving our own culture."

Concrete results and new horizons...

During the event, the concrete achievements of the project were shared in detail by the participating CSOs. While Project Coordinator Turan Sayar presented the innovative approaches and practices that increase social benefit, Academic Advisors Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan and Prof. Dr. İsmail Barış played an important role in the success of the project with their scientific support on the institutionalization and branding of NGOs. Project Cycle Consultant Dr. Lecturer. Prof. Nebiye Yaşar provided academic guidance with her systematic approach during the planning and implementation phases of the project.

Strong partnerships for the future

At the end of the program, participating NGO representatives, academics and Üsküdar University administration expressed their intention to cooperate to work on more comprehensive projects in the future.

The plaques of appreciation and the book "CSO Institutionalization and Branding" presented at the closing program underlined that this project is just the beginning and that civil society can become much stronger with academic knowledge.

A new era in social transformation

The "CSOs at the University" project is remembered as one of the most concrete examples of social innovation and collaboration in Turkey. The closing program of the project represented not only the end of a success story, but also the beginning of a period in which the bond between civil society and academia is further strengthened, shedding light on new projects and a hopeful future.

The project will continue to be a guide and a source of inspiration for civil society movements that touch people and produce innovative and lasting solutions.