The visiting delegation consisting of 16 Syrian beneficiaries of the Turkish Conversation Workshop was hosted by Faculty Member Dr. Filiz Çayırağası and Lecturer Derya Çevik Taşdemir, Expert on Occupational Safety and Health of the Faculty of Economic and Administrative Sciences. The beneficiaries attended the accounting course presented by Faculty Member Dr. Filiz Çayırağası for a while with her regular students. Then, Ms. Bilge Çoban, ILO Field Coordinator, delivered a short speech to university students briefly introducing the visiting omen, SADA Women Centre and the reasons for visit. Visitors posed various questions in Turkish to university instructors and students. Women were mostly curious about when Gaziantep University was established, how many faculties it had, what topics were covered in the management department, whether graduates of imam and preacher high schools could enrol in law schools. They also inquired how Syrians could enrol in the university, and shared their life experiences.

Ms. Maryam Hammus, who used to work as an attorney-at-law in Syria but could not exercise her profession now in Turkey, told the students that she started a new life through SADA Women Centre, and as a member of SADA Women’s Cooperative, she made great strides in her life. A Syrian student of the Faculty of Management present at the classroom responded to the questions of Syrian women about enrolment in the university based on own experience, while other students in the classroom posed various questions to the visiting ladies. Students asked whether there was a university entrance examination in Syria and every youth could enrol in a department of own choice. The visiting women provided information on the Syrian education system to the students. The question “Are you happy in Turkey” was responded by some women that they were freer here, therefore did not want to go back, while a Syrian woman said they had to come to Turkey because of the war. A Syrian woman said: “Once your house is on fire, you take refuge in the neighbour, that is what we did.” She added that “nothing is like home” therefore they were looking forward go back once the war would be over.

Following the questions and answers, Lecturer Derya Çevik Taşdemir, Expert on Occupational Safety and Health, made a brief presentation on the projects aiming at occupational safety experts and refugees under the EU Erasmus+ programme. Ms. Taşdemir noted that they endeavoured to build online training modules which could be used also by refugees in the project that focused on developing a feasible curriculum on occupational safety and health for professionals. The visit concluded with taking a group photograph.

Visit to Iskur Mobile Office

The beneficiaries of the Turkish Conversation Workshop paid their second visit to the ISKUR Mobile Office in the campus of Gaziantep University. Welcomed by ISKUR Expert Esra Bağcı, the visiting women received information on the work of ISKUR and the activities of the mobile office in the campus. Asking various questions on participation in working life and job-search processes, the women told that they participated in the ISKUR Active Labour Market Programme seminar delivered by ISKUR experts at SADA Women Centre, and were happy to see the mobile office in action.