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In fact, I don’t prefer writing my experiences in this column. However I think that I should share these experiences with you if they are worth mentioning.
Last month I was in Harvard College, in Boston. I was invited there to give a conference to the students of John F. Kennedy School of Government. When Elaine Papoulias, the director of “Kokkalis Southeast and Middle and East Europe Programme” invited me, I was very excited as I was going to share my extended knowledge about the Middle-East, Turkey and European Union and will benefit from the researches I made for the programmes PUSULA and MANSET with them.
I was curious to hear the questions of prestigious Harvard College students and teachers about Turkey. What were they wondering about Middle East, Turkey and the European Union? How do they see Turkey from an American point of view? As a journalist, I decided to provoke the viewers to listen their own answer to these questions. Thus, I turned my conference into a conversation. So, everybody had the chance to ask questions and express their own ideas.
Most of the questions were about Iraq and Iran. It was clear that American academicians and students were wondering Turkey’s attitude towards Iran. At the same time, they wanted to listen what Turkish people think about the US policies over the Middle East and Iran. Iran’s nuclear institutions and uranium enrichment are highly debated among the American academicians.
What’s more, the other issues, which were asked were mainly about AKP government, the political statue of AKP in Turkey’s political view and the tension between the army and the government. There were Turkish students among the audience, who were continuing their education in Harvard. Their questions were mainly focused on “What is going on in Turkey?” This question reminds everyone the Kurdish matter and the events take place in the Southeastern Turkey. Proffessor Lenore G. Martin, who is making researches in the Middle East Studies Department got information especially about the current events took place in Diyarbakır and presented her own analysis, too.
Iran, Iraq, AKP, civil-militarian affairs, the Kurdish matter and of course the viewpoint of Turkey about the US... In fact, all these things were the indicative of the headlines of the Turkey and US relationship and the problematic matters between the two countries.
It was only the one aspect of the event... There were also things the conference taught.
After the end of the conference, while I was talking with the Turkish students, a very important and interesting point showed itself. I learned that there were many wealthy businessmen from many countries, who made contracts with the Harvard University.They annually pay money as means of donation and the college give scholarship to the talented students of that country. In other words, the businessmen give scholarship to the talented students, who need to complete their education with master or doctorate degree. There are businessmen almost from all world countries. They do this thing both by means of service to their country and as a part of social responsibility project. There are even some businessmen who not only chose students from their country but the other countries. When I asked whether there are any Turkish businessman among them, the answer was negative. Either there were not or they were so few that no one knows.
I was really dissapointed. It would be great if the talented Turkish students came here and be graduated from Harvard. It would not only help filling the void of educated people of Turkey but also would be good for representing Turkey abroad. There is no doubt that the more Turkish students in Harvard, the more is Turkey’s popularity.
So, dear businessmen! Please help this to become true.
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