TCA and ITU Collaborate on Educational Exchanges
ITU will award scholarships to Native American students

Washington, DC - November 30, 2009 – In collaboration with TCA to promote educational exchanges between Turkey and Minority Serving Institutions in the United States, the president of Istanbul Technical University (ITU), Dr. Muhammed Sahin, announced his university’s commitment to provide 10 comprehensive (all expenses paid) scholarships to Native American students per semester.  The announcement was made when a delegation of Native American faculty visited ITU as part of a Turkish university tour sponsored by TCA this month.

“We are delighted that Istanbul Technical University has made this commitment to further expand educational cooperation between Turkey and the United States, and it will enhance cultural awareness between Turkish and Native American students,” said TCA President G. Lincoln McCurdy. 

“ITU’s commitment supports TCA’s efforts over the past two years to encourage American minority students to study in Turkey and to expand educational exchanges between institutes of higher education in Turkey and Minority Serving Institutions in the US, including Tribal Colleges. With this decision, ITU has become the second Turkish institution, after Bahcesehir University, to offer scholarships to Native American students.”

TCA’s Native American faculty tour to Turkey is supported by the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and has visited 12 universities in 4 cities.   The delegation included members of the Mandan, Hidatsa, Crow, Cree, Hopi, Isleta/San Juan Pueblo and Mohawk tribes, representing South Dakota State University, Northern Arizona University and the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico.

The delegation also participated in the conference “Native American Voices:  Languages of Survival” sponsored by Hacettepe University’s Department of American Culture and Literature, November 16-17.    The delegation also visted Ondokuz Mayis University in Samsun; Abant Izzet Baysal University and Bolu Donors Foundation in Bolu; Bahcesehir, Boazici, Halic, Koc, Ozyegin and Sabanci univesities in Istanbul; and Bilkent and Middle East Technical universities in Ankara.

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