Three professors from Necmettin Erbakan University (aka, Selcuk University) of Turkey are currently visiting the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
The professors arrived at UW Oshkosh on July 20 and will stay through the first week of September.
The professors are:
- Dr. Mustafa Yavuz, associate professor of educational leadership, has expertise in comparative education, program evaluation and learning assessment.
- Dr. Ali Unal, assistant professor of educational supervision, works on issues related to school truancy and social deviance.
- Dr. Abdullah Surucu, assistant professor of psychological counseling, has a background in professional counseling practices.
While at UW Oshkosh, the professors are meeting with UWO leadership; they already had the opportunity to meet with Dean Frederick Yeo. They are also taking tours and interacting with both faculty in the College of Education and Human Services and UWO students attending summer classes.
They have also attended a board meeting of the Oshkosh Area School District, met with administrators of Oshkosh North High School and visited various places (dairy farm, zoo, EEA, shopping centers, restaurants, public parks, local businesses and Fox Valley Technical College) in the Fox Valley area. Their agenda includes other visits and meetings outside the Fox Valley area and Wisconsin.
The three professors are on campus at the invitation of Dr. Emmanuel Jean Francois, assistant professor of Human Services and Educational Leadership in the College of Education. The purpose of their visit is to learn more about the U.S. education system, compare school administration practices of the two countries and identify ways to incorporate U.S. best practices into the Turkish education system.
Their presence on campus is a first step toward the development of ongoing relationships for educational and cultural exchange between Necmettin Erbakan University and UW Oshkosh. Also, they are seizing this opportunity to experience American culture and improve their English-speaking skills.
The outcomes of their visit will include (a) the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding between UW Oshkosh and Necmettin Erbakan University, (b) the submission of a joint peer review article comparing aspects of the American and Turkish education systems, (c) the development of interdisciplinary abstracts for joint international conference presentations and (d) other transnational education projects and activities.
Turkey is a secular country with a Muslim majority that is a growing influential nation in world affairs and a longtime ally of the United States in strategic matters related to Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
For more information about Necmettin Erbakan University, visit konya.edu.tr
Emmanuel Jean Francois submitted this announcement. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to contribute calendar items, campus announcements and other good news to UW Oshkosh Today.