Recognizing the indisputable importance of universal, high quality education for social and cultural development, the Aydın Doğan Foundation invests in education in many provinces, giving precedence to developing regions.
These investments aim to iron out the inequalities between different regions, improve the quality of education and particularly to train the kind of human resource needed in line with the regional dynamics.
From this standpoint, having built schools, girls' dormitories, sport halls and research centers across the country, the Foundation is aware that education cannot be accomplished by just constructing buildings; as such it continues to provide a variety of support for these institutions. Within this scope, many schools around Turkey received equipment support in the form of books, computers, printers and Internet connections. As part of the 100% support for computer-aided education campaign, 1.6 million computers were donated so far to various schools and frequent campaigns were launched to distribute books.
Schools And Training Centers
Aydın Doğan Elementary School (Göztepe, Istanbul)
Demolished after suffering damage in the 1999 earthquake, the school was rebuilt by the Foundation. The three storey school now has 24 classrooms, two science laboratories, a computer laboratory, music room, library and a multi-purpose hall. The school also has disabled access with a ramp, lift and special toilet facility.
Atatürk University Aydın Doğan Foundation
Private Elementary School (Erzurum)
The school situated within the grounds of Erzurum Atatürk University Campus is renowned as the best elementary school in East Anatolia.
Sema Işıl Doğan Elementary School (Gümüşhane)
Sema Işıl Doğan Elementary School with almost 600 students is among the most prestigious education institutions in the region.
Milliyet Anatolian Teachers High School (Erzincan)
The graduates of the school which was fully equipped to educate modern and young teachers have an outstanding record of success in the national Student Selection Examination (ÖSS).
Aydın Doğan Anatolian Communications
Vocational High School (Istanbul)
Founded by the Aydın Doğan Foundation to educate human resource needed for the communications sector and donated to the Ministry of Education, the school boasts computer, physics, chemistry, language,
social science and graphic design laboratories, a library housing 2,000 books, a conference hall for an audience of 120 people and a multipurpose sports hall for 750 people. The Foundation provides English training support for all students at the school.
Hürriyet Anatolian Vocational High School for
Hotel Management (Erzincan)
This school, with approximately 200 students, educates potential employees for tourism centers. The school also fills an important void in the region's catering services for group receptions and other organizations.
Yaşar-İrfani Doğan Industrial Vocational High School and Dormitory (Kelkit)
This boarding school offers education in the fields of electricity, computer, accounting and ready-to-wear clothing; it provides one of the best examples of modern educational institutions that aimed to be role models for other institutions in all corners of Turkey.
Erzincan University Aydın Doğan Vocational School (Kelkit)
Established initially under Erzurum Atatürk University in 2003, the school had its first graduates in 2006. Offering courses in organic farming, computer technology and programming, industrial electronics, accountancy and civil aviation, the school soon became to be one of the most popular vocational schools for higher education in Turkey. The school's preparatory classes for English language benefit from opportunities provided by Aydın Doğan Foundation and are taught by a team of teachers all of whom speak English as their native language. Alongside cultural activities like drama, folk dancing and music, the school also encourages sporting activities as attested by its football team's championship victory in a tournament in France without losing a single game.
Aydın Doğan Science and Arts Center (Afyon)
In this Center where children of exceptional intelligence and talent receive special after-school education, the aim is to encourage positive development of their intelligence and energy. The Center offers education in various fields for children with IQ levels of 180 or higher.
Galatasaray University Aydın Doğan Auditorium (Istanbul)
The Auditorium at Galatasaray University, one of the most prestigious educational institutes in Turkey, extends over an area of 400 square meters including a foyer and a conference hall with 250 seats. Featuring acoustically enhanced ceiling and walls as well as relevant technical equipment for simultaneous translating and an up-to-date sound system, the hall hosts various events such as international congresses,
conferences, seminars and film screenings.
Turkish Sports Writers' Association,
Aydın Doğan Training Center (Istanbul)
The 50-seat training center established to provide a venue for on-the-job training of young members of the press encompasses an area of more than 139.5 square meters. In addition to training seminars and press conferences for sports clubs and people serving in the sports world, Board meetings are also held at this location.
London School of Economics, Chair in Contemporary Turkish Studies
In collaboration with the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Turkish European Foundation (TAV), the Aydın Doğan Foundation contributed educational funding to the European Institute at the London School of Economics (LSE) for the establishment of the Chair in Contemporary Turkish Studies. This school is renowned for its ability to ‘educate leaders.' In a ceremony held in Istanbul, the Director of the LSE Sir Howard Davies emphasized the positive contribution of the Chair for Turkey-EU relations. The ceremony was attended by Beşir Atalay, Minister of State; Akın Alptuna, the Turkish Ambassador to the UK; the British Consul General in Istanbul; Hanzade Doğan, Doğan Media Chief Executive Officer; the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation and guests.
Dormitories for Girls
Within the scope of Dad Send Me to School campaign run by the daily newspaper Milliyet, the Foundation inaugurated dormitories for female students in various locations.
- Aydın Doğan Dormitory for Girls (Kürtün-Gümüşhane)
- Aydın Doğan Dormitory for Girls (Köse-Gümüşhane)
- Hacı Hüsrev Doğan Dormitory for Girls (Kelkit-Gümüşhane)
- Aydın Doğan Dormitory at Nene Hatun High School for Girls (Erzurum)
- Erzincan University Aydın Doğan Dormitory for Girls
- Şiran Aydın Doğan Dormitory for Girls (Gümüşhane)
Dad Send Me to School Campaign
The Dad Send Me to School campaign is the ultimate step in Milliyet's tradition of social responsibility projects. Launched in April 23, 2005 with a view to determine and overcome the problems relating to girls' enrollment in school, the campaign soon generated widespread interest through its efforts to raise financial support as well as a range of activities to improve social awareness.
Milliyet contributed TL 1.0 million and numerous organizations provided funds for dormitories and scholarships as part of the Dad Send Me to School campaign. With the expansion of education mobilization across Turkey and getting
each and every girl enrolled at school as its core mission, Dad Send Me to School was designed and implemented as a three dimensional effort involving financial backing, activities to improve social awareness and resolution of structural problems.
Within four years, Milliyet and other organizations have undertaken construction of 28 dormitories. Almost 7,156 girls were granted education scholarships and the construction of ten primary schools was completed.
Furthermore, 500 parents in five provinces took part in My Child and I seminars, given in collaboration with the Mother Child Education Foundation (AÇEV). Special training sessions were also held for the managers of Primary Regional Boarding Schools (YIBO) and Primary Schools with Hostels (PIO).
In cooperation with the Turkish Family Health and Planning Foundation (TAPV), Health and Hygiene seminars were given to female students staying in dormitories. Various auxiliary training programs were organized in Istanbul for dormitory managers and duty teachers such as the four-day Adolescence and Dormitory Management and the five-day Communication Skills and Dormitory Management.
The Association in Support of Contemporary Living (ÇYDD) has been the most remarkable and the most effective partner of Milliyet in this campaign. Alongside ÇYDD, organizations such as Turkish Association of University Women (TÜKD), Turkish Family Health and Planning Foundation (TAPV), Mother Child Education Foundation (AÇEV); as well as the Ministry of National Education and heads of public administration have actively contributed to the campaign.
Following a huge mobilization of resources, donations received within the scope of the campaign were in excess of TL 30 million. The fact that over 110,000 people made individual contributions is a clear demonstration of the campaign's profound effect on Turkish people's sentiments.
Milliyet envisages to achieve continuity for the campaign and to carry out further efforts aimed at improving the girls' quality of life.
Supporting Young Talent
Through the support of the Aydın Doğan Foundation, students who receive Aydın Doğan Young Communicators' Awards are offered internship opportunities in their respective fields.
Following their internships, some of these students are offered job opportunities in the organization depending on their individual performance. Scores of university students are also granted internship opportunities every year.
Furthermore, students of Aydın Doğan Communications Vocational High School are offered work experience opportunities at newspapers, magazines and television channels two days a week, for a year.
DYH supports the career development of successful and high performing employees, giving precedence to internal appointments especially for medium and high level management levels.
Young Communicators Competition
Acclaimed for its emphasis on education, Aydın Doğan Foundation organizes Young Communicators Competition to encourage and foster the education of qualified media employees. Each year record numbers of submissions are made to this cultural competition which is open to all undergraduates studying at Communications Faculties recognized by the Higher Education Council (YÖK). Numerous promising students have been rewarded through this program.
The goal of the competition is to encourage continuous improvement and to contribute to the cultivation of communications undergraduates as contemporary pioneers of the media. Thousands of students from communications faculties submit their applications for the competition in print, visual and audio journalism, advertising, public relations and web publications categories.
As well as granting scholarships and prizes, the Foundation provides internship opportunities at DYH for those who merit awards. The former award winners of this competition, established with the vision of empowering prospective journalists and broadcasters to compete with their rival colleagues in developed countries, continue to advance their careers in various organizations at present.
The projects that receive an award in the competition from the selection committee comprising experienced and prominent figures of communication and media world are published in an album which is then distributed
to students, universities and other relevant organizations. |
