Within the scope of the project, the 1000 cattle in 25 identified villages were categorized into three categories based on their population and age distribution. Villages where more than 20% of the population are children were defined as child villages, those where more than 20% are young were defined as young villages, and those where more than 30% are elderly were defined as elderly villages. Different trainings will be provided to the villages according to these categories.
The training program, which will start in March 2025, will cover topics such as animal husbandry, agriculture and economy, ecological literacy, social and cultural development, healthy living, emergency management, preventive health, spiritual development, and young volunteers in the village. The project aims to achieve economic revitalization in rural areas, social and cultural development, along with an increase in the quality of life.
25 village headmen and their representatives attended the project's introductory meeting. The meeting began with the promotional film of the project, followed by a speech from MAKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar.
Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar: "We are a University integrated with society"
Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar stated that universities should now be closer and more integrated with society. Dalgar said, "As MAKÜ, we have reached 180 villages in Burdur as a specialized university in animal husbandry and provided training for the last five years. However, we have seen that it is not enough to provide information only related to animal husbandry in rural areas. There is a need for support in various fields from health to digital literacy, from spiritual development to elderly care," he said.
Village University is a first in Turkey
Rector Dalgar emphasized that the Village University project is a first in Turkey, stating that they aim to touch the lives of citizens living in rural areas and transfer the university's knowledge to society with this project. Expressing that universities are no longer disconnected institutions from society, Dalgar said, “For the first time in Turkey, the concept of Village University is being used with this project. I believe and feel that this project, which comes from the people, is a project that suits a university named after our national poet, a project that suits a proper approach. If we achieve successful results as a result of this project, even if it is very small, if we can touch the life of an elderly uncle in our village or a fellow citizen engaged in farming, if we can inspire a child, if we can make them happy, then we will be able to say that we have accomplished something, and we will feel happy to serve our people in this way,” he said.
Prof. Dr. Dalgar stated that alongside the academics to be sent to the villages, there will also be students, saying, “The involvement of our youth in this project will allow them to see the challenges faced in rural life firsthand and to develop empathy. Thus, they will grow into more sensitive individuals towards different segments of society in the future.”
The introductory meeting was held with high participation
The introductory meeting of the MAKÜ Village University project took place with the participation of village headmen and village representatives. The details of the project were explained by Project Representative Assoc. Prof. Dr. Umut Yanardağ.
Headmen and village representatives also contributed to the development of the project by sharing their views and suggestions during the meeting. MAKÜ officials stated that the process would be shaped according to the needs observed in the field and that it could expand to more villages in the future.
