Skip to main content
Category

Projects

Launch of the Sanarip Insan Project

By Events, Projects No Comments

Launch of the Sanarip Insan project

 

On 31 March 2022, a forum on “Promoting Equal Economic Opportunities and Resilience of Youth” was held at the Park Hotel Conference Hall, where the Sanarip Insan Project was launched. The round table was held in a hybrid format, with more than 80 guests from the public and private sectors attending offline and international partners and viewers from remote regions of the Kyrgyz Republic attending online.  

The Sanarip Insan project aims to build digital skills capacity among young people, migrants and women, from basic digital literacy to more in-demand digital skills such as information search, use of digital platforms, use of social media functionality, financial operations, online commerce and advanced entrepreneurial skills using information technology. The project plans to reach 100,000 people. 

The Sanarip Insan project is implemented by the European Neighbourhood Council together with the Kyrgyz Internet Society with the financial support of the European Union.

The roundtable combined a business conference with the national traditions of the Kyrgyz people. At the beginning of the forum, the six-year-old Manaschi performed several Manas commandments. Then, during the forum, Raimonds Vingris, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the EU Delegation to the Kyrgyz Republic, gave a “Tushoo kesүү” to the child to mark the opening of the project. 

Raimonds Vingris, Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the EU Delegation to the Kyrgyz Republic, spoke about increasing knowledge in digital skills among the population to ensure rapid employment: “Even in EU countries, there is a digital divide. Adult citizens with low levels of digital skills are more likely to have problems finding jobs, and even when they are employed, they get less than adults with higher levels of digital skills,” he said.

Soyuzbek Nadyrbekov, Deputy Minister of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of the Kyrgyz Republic, was introduced to all aspects of the project and expressed his great desire to cooperate to jointly improve knowledge in digital literacy among citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic. 

Nurdölöt Bazarbaev, Deputy Minister of Labour, Social Security and Migration of the Kyrgyz Republic, shared that the digital literacy of the population, in the future, will enable the citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic to import digital services to international companies while staying in their home country. 

Ulanbek Mambetakunov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, shared a great desire to cooperate and improve the digital knowledge and skills of the population to achieve sustainable development goals: “We should pay attention to poverty eradication, to quality education, and necessarily consider digital skills to achieve sustainable development goals. The Ministry of Education and other ministries and agencies are making great efforts to develop digital skills, information literacy and as far as you know, a draft of the state educational standard for primary general education is currently being prepared, where one of the objectives is to develop digital literacy plus increase students’ knowledge on the green economy”. 

Internet creator and Google VP – Vinton Cerf also spoke at the forum, where he shared the importance of teaching digital skills to vulnerable groups in order to increase the capacity of the population.

Maria Bevza, Project Coordinator at the European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) spoke about the implementation of the Sanarip Insan project and the targets to be achieved over the next 2 years. 

Leaders of youth and women’s organisations such as SheStarts, Mutakalim, Otkrytaya Liniya, shared their views on the need to promote equal economic opportunities and sustainability for youth and women in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The forum was the opening event of the Sanarip Insan project where partners, state authorities, media and beneficiaries came to an agreement on cooperation to maximise the promotion of the population of the Kyrgyz Republic through enhanced digital skills. 

Русская версия релиза по этой ссылке.

 

This website was created and/or maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) / Public Association “Internet Society Kyrgyzstan Chapter” and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union’.



Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic
21 Erkindik Boulevard, Business Centre Orion, 5th floor
Bishkek, 720040, Kyrgyz Republic

Telephone: +996 312 26 10 00
Fax: +996 312 26 10 07

E-mail: delegation-kyrgyzstan@eeas.europa.eu
Website: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/kyrgyzstan
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/eudelkg

The European Union is made up of 27 Member States who have decided to gradually link together their know-how, resources, and destinies. Together, during a period of enlargement of 60 years, they have built a zone of stability, democracy, and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance, and individual freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders.

 

ENC In-Depth Podcast: EU – Turkey Economic and Transport Relations

By Podcast, Projects No Comments

ENC In-Depth Podcast

 EU – Turkey Economic and Transport Relations

This ENC in-depth discussion is part of a mini-series of podcasts focused on the EU – Turkey economic and transport relations with experts covering topics such as the customs union, transport fees, trade and logistics among else. The discussions are part of the “A New Road Transport Cooperation Between Turkey and European Union: Expectations and Possibilities” programme.

The third and last episode is dedicated to EU – Turkey economic and transport relations with an emphasis given to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine on transportation and logistics across Europe and Eurasia, with a specific focus on the geo-economic implications of new trade routes, block, bottlenecks and sanctions on EU-Turkey relations and transport policy, as well as the need for EU-Turkey Customs Union reform.

The discussion was moderated by Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, ENC Managing Director and features the comments and insights of Dr. Cigdem Nas, Secretary General at the Economic Development Foundation of Turkey (IKV) and Alper Ozel, Chairperson of the Executive Committee of International Transporters Association (UND).

You can listen the in-depth interview here:

ENC In-Depth Podcast: EU – Turkey Relations: Customs Union Modernisation in the Spotlight

By Podcast, Projects No Comments

Beyond Erasmus

Education, Exchanges and Employment opportunities for youth in the EU and Turkey – Phase III

Podcast Episode 3

This ENC in-depth discussion is part of a mini-series of podcasts with experts from Turkey covering topics such as enviromental policies, digital journalism and trade. The discussions are part of the Beyond Erasmus training programme, a project supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation office in Turkey.

The third and last episode is dedicated to EU – Turkey economic relations with an emphasis on customs union modernisation process. The discussion was moderated by Andreas Marazis, ENC Head of Research for Eastern Europe & Central Asia, and features the comments and insights of Dr. Cigdem Nas, Secretary General at the Economic Development Foundation of Turkey (IKV) and Associate Professor at Yildiz University.

You can listen the in-depth interview here:

ENC In-Depth Podcast: Digital Journalism, Fact-checking and Digital Marketing in Turkey

By Podcast, Projects No Comments

Beyond Erasmus

Education, Exchanges and Employment opportunities for youth in the EU and Turkey – Phase III

Podcast Episode 2

This ENC in-depth discussion is part of a mini-series of podcasts with experts from Turkey covering topics such as enviromental policies, digital journalism and trade. The discussions are part of the Beyond Erasmus training programme, a project supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation office in Turkey.

The second episode is dedicated to digital journalism, fact-checking and digital marketing in Turkey. The discussion was moderated by Andreas Marazis, ENC Head of Research for Eastern Europe & Central Asia, and features the comments and insights of Sait Burak Utucu, video journalist at the Turkish service of the Independent, Ezgi Toprak, fact-checker at Teyit.org and Ahmet Balat, Co-Founder of Brandok Performance Marketing Agency.

You can listen the in-depth interview here:

ENC IN-DEPTH PODCAST: Going Green in Turkey – Environmental Challenges and Opportunities

By Podcast, Projects No Comments

Beyond Erasmus

Education, Exchanges and Employment opportunities for youth in the EU and Turkey – Phase III

Podcast Episode 1

This ENC in-depth discussion is part of a min-series of podcasts with experts from Turkey covering topics such as enviromental policies, digital journalism and trade. The discussions are part of the Beyond Erasmus training programme, a project supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation office in Turkey.

The first episode is dedicated to environmental policies, challenges and opportunities for Turkey in its effort to move towards sustainable and green energy solutions. The discussion was moderated by Andreas Marazis, ENC Head of Research for Eastern Europe & Central Asia, and features the comments and insights of Ali Yaras, energy and sustainability expert.

You can listen the in-depth interview here:

Forum “Improving the Employment Potential of Rural Youth, Women and Migrants through Improving Digital Skills”

By Events, Projects No Comments

БИРДЕЙ ЭКОНОМИКАЛЫК МҮМКҮНЧҮЛҮКТӨРДҮ ЖАНА ЖАШТАРДЫН ТУРУКТУУЛУГУН ИЛГЕРИЛЕТҮҮ

ПРОДВИЖЕНИЕ РАВНЫХ ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИХ ВОЗМОЖНОСТЕЙ И УСТОЙЧИВОСТИ МОЛОДЕЖИ

PROMOTING EQUAL ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND RESILIENCE OF YOUTH


Forum “Improving the Employment Potential of Rural Youth, Women and Migrants through Improving Digital Skills”

Launch of the Sanarip Insan project

Date:                 March 31, 2022

Time:               14.00 Bishkek time/ 10.00 CET

Languages:    English, Kyrgyz, Russian

Online registration link: https://isoc.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAsdeivpz8oGtKZjhIhhrYrRTzpRCjkiewp

Agenda of the forum: Agenda Sanarip Insan

Millions of people face the challenge of finding themselves in the labour market and being in professional demand without fear of losing their job. However, the labour market situation in the Kyrgyz Republic is ambiguous. Traditional jobs are not sufficient for the working-age population, resulting in high unemployment rates. Increasing digital skills of the population contributes to augmenting the number of jobs and the level of wages. These skills help to equalise living standards in both urban and rural areas. For a smooth transition to a digital economy, Kyrgyzstan needs to transform its training system. This will allow for the rapid and high-quality training of specialists with the competencies most in demand in the labour market.

Due to recent events in the world, migrants have to leave their jobs and return home. It is impossible to predict what percentage of returnees will be able to find work in their home countries. However, given the experience of the pandemic in 2020, it is safe to say that unemployment in the country will increase. The growth of unemployment, a significant reduction of financial opportunities for the population will aggravate the economic situation in Kyrgyzstan and will affect the standard of living of the majority of the country’s population. In these circumstances, it is necessary to provide opportunities to obtain new in-demand professions for vulnerable groups of the population.

In this regard, one of the priorities of the European Neighbourhood Council together with the Public Association “Kyrgyz Internet Society” (ISOC) is the implementation of the project “Promoting Equal Economic Opportunities and Sustainability for Youth” in the Kyrgyz Republic “Sanarip Insan” (“Digital Citizen”) with the financial support of the European Union. It envisages new opportunities for developing the digital literacy of the population, providing knowledge of the digital and green economy to young people and women living in rural areas of the republic, and training a professional digital workforce. The project aims to increase the digital skills capacity of young migrants, including women, from basic digital literacy to more in-demand digital skills such as information search, use of digital platforms, use of social media functionality, financial transactions, online commerce and advanced entrepreneurial skills using information technology.

The roundtable “Enhancing the Employment Potential of Rural Youth, Women and Migrants through Digital Skills” aims to present and discuss an ecosystem of human resources and education projects. During the forum, heads of expert areas and project implementers represented by representatives of the government, development institutions, business and educational structures will summarize the results, discuss the tangible effects of digitalization of education for the population, challenges, and opportunities for including all stakeholders in the implementation of projects. Also, new challenges for young labour migrants from Kyrgyzstan caused by changes in regional labour markets, information exchange between the participants on the use of best practices and the issue of developing recommendations to support and promote vulnerable groups of young migrants will be discussed.

A special focus of the round table will be on the presentation of the Sanarip Insan Project, enhancing the role of Kyrgyz regions in project implementation, sharing best practices and discussing approaches to achieving its indicators. The final outcome of the project activities is the improvement of youth protection indicators on the Sustainable Development and Human Rights Goals. The task to promote and ensure the right to leadership and women’s meaningful participation in decision-making processes is a key one, acting as both a goal and a means to achieve the SDGs.

Русская версия пресс-релиза по этой ссылке. Басма сөз үчүн билдирүү шилтеме менен кыргыз тилинде жеткиликтүү.

This <website/account> was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) / Public Association “Internet Society Kyrgyzstan Chapter” and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union’.



Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic
21 Erkindik Boulevard, Business Centre Orion, 5th floor
Bishkek, 720040, Kyrgyz Republic

Telephone: +996 312 26 10 00
Fax: +996 312 26 10 07

E-mail: delegation-kyrgyzstan@eeas.europa.eu
Website: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/kyrgyzstan
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/eudelkg

The European Union is made up of 27 Member States who have decided to gradually link together their know-how, resources, and destinies. Together, during a period of enlargement of 60 years, they have built a zone of stability, democracy, and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance, and individual freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders.

 

A New Road Transport Cooperation Between Turkey and European Union: Expectations and Possibilities

By Events, Projects No Comments

A New Road Transport Cooperation Between Turkey and European Union: Expectations and Possibilities. A week of consultations, meetings, and roundtables in Brussels with the European Neighbourhood Council (ENC).

Between the 22nd and 25th of February, the ENC organized a series of consultations and dissemination with the European Parliament, DG Move, DG Trade, DG Near, TOBB, and Eurochambers for the release of our four new reports on EU-Turkey, EU-Polish, connectivity and transport relations. The project and reports consist of road transport representatives from Poland and Turkey, as well as academic and think-tank institutions. The timing came at a relevant moment, since the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war – and new sanctions against Moscow – will deeply impact Eurasian road connectivity and the transportation sector for lorries in particular.

The official partners of the project and authors of the four reports include the European Neighbourhood Council (ENC – co ), the European Union and Global Research Association (ABKAD – lead), along with the International Transporters’ Association (UND – co ), and  Zrzeszenie Międzynarodowych Przewoźników Drogowych w Polsce (ZMPD – co). The four reports deal with a variety of relevant economic subjects and include detailed recommendations. They namely-include road transportation transit costs, inefficiencies/bottle-necks at the Bulgarian-Turkish border, the importance of renewing the EU-Turkey Customs Union, the serious problem of trade irritants and rule of law issues originating from Turkey, and a variety of unfair burdens which target the Turkish transport sector. Taking into account the likely deviation of some transport routes originating from China and Kazakhstan towards the southern/middle corridor instead, and thereby passing through Turkey, it is urgent and likely that the issues of Bulgarian-Turkish crossing-times, delays, administrative issues will further amplify. It is estimated that over one hundred thousand trucks may no longer be able to use the northern route, depending on the exact impact of sanctions and the war in Ukraine.

During Day 1 (22/02/2022) the ENC held a preparatory meeting with all Project partners in which the Project activities and reports were discussed in detail, including planning and scheduling.

During Day 2 (23/02/2022) the ENC organized a closed-door roundtable with all Partners, including also technical experts, policy-makers, and government representatives in order to present each report and discuss the details of transport policy, EU-Turkey Customs Union, impact assessments, connectivity strategy, and impact on road-transport, and looking at EU-Polish-Turkish economic relations in concrete figures. Speakers and authors included Aysegul Ketenci, EU Expert from UND, Dr. Nicola Contessi, ENC expert and Research Associate at York Centre for Asian Research, Anna Wieczorek and Tomasz Malyszko, main specialists in road transport from ZMPD, and Dr. Can Baydarol, the Vice President of ABKAD. Guests and other expert speakers included Alper Ozel, Chief Executive Chairman from UND, as well as Murat Kavalali from ABKAD and invited participants from the European Commission (DG TAXUD, DG MOVE, DG NEAR, DG TRADE), the European Parliament, think-tanks, missions, and delegations, as well as business associations. The roundtable was moderated by Samuel Doveri Vesterbye, ENC Managing Director.

A special networking lunch for participants was organized, in which participants and speakers had the opportunity to exchange views and continue discussing EU-Turkey economic relations, transport corridors, infrastructure connectivity, renewables, all in the context of the new geopolitical realities in Ukraine and Russia.

During the afternoon a press meeting was organized with journalists, in which each report author had the opportunity to explain the reports in detail and take questions and answers from journalists dealing with transport and connectivity.

During Day 3 (24/02/2022) the ENC recorded two separate podcasts, one with the expert authors from the reports, in which road transportation and EU-Turkey customs union were discussed, and a second podcast with Dr. Niclas Poitiers who is a Research Fellow and specialist in trade, macroeconomics, and EU foreign economic policy at the leading economic think tank Bruegel. The conversation between ENC Managing Director Samuel Doveri Vesterbye and Dr. Poitiers focused on the increasing importance of a renewed EU-Turkey Customs Union and the importance of a more transparent, open, and rules-based Turkey, in which rule of law can support a stable lira, investor confidence and increased EU-Turkey economic relations. The podcast also included detailed exchanges about the number of investments, companies, and economic relations which exist between EU companies, namely in Germany, and their counterparts in Turkey, while the discussion about debt, spending, and interest rates was also touched upon.

Both podcasts will be available and distributed via ENC in the upcoming weeks.

During Day 3 (24/02/2022) the ENC also organized a roundtable meeting and visit the European Parliament, in order to meet parts of the Polish Delegation, who have worked on the Mobility Package and were interested in meeting with the Polish transport organizations, as well as with other relevant stakeholders. The event was organized and hosted by the ENC in cooperation with Ipek Tekdemir, while Samuel Doveri Vesterbye co-moderated the roundtable. Discussion points surrounded Customs Union reform, Polish truck-sector concerns, Turkish truck-sector concerns, the impact of sanctions on the transport sectors, and the importance of connectivity and support for transportation, including details regarding the Mobility Package.

During Day 4 (25/02/2022) the ENC organized private meetings with Eurochambres, TOBB, and IKV. During these meetings, both the Polish and Turkish representatives were given the opportunity to discuss and exchange technical information, including recommendations from the reports, to the representatives from Europe’s leading association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry, representing over 20 million businesses in Europe. The meeting also included concluding and contextual remarks from ENC Managing Director Samuel Doveri Vesterbye about how the EU-Turkish political relationship is impacting the technical, business, and economic relationship, notably in terms of transport, connectivity, and trade. After the meeting with Eurochambres, another meeting was led by Evren Bingol from UND with members of the ‘Green Corridor Network’.

Beyond Erasmus Phase II – Networking Fellowship in Brussels

By Events, Projects No Comments

Beyond Erasmus: Education, Exchanges and Employment opportunities for youth in the EU and Turkey (Phase II)

Meet the Beyond Erasmus ‘dream team’: Cem, Sinan, Cagla, Ecenur, Mathilde, Katharina, and Selen made it to Brussels. During the week of 7-11 February 2022, the European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) with the support of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) office in Turkey hosted, for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted in 2020, the seven finalists from Turkey, Germany, and France. The networking fellowship trip in Brussels is part of the “Beyond Erasmus: Education, Exchanges and Employment opportunities for youth in the EU and Turkey”.

Against restrictions and fear of COVID-19 infection, our student-fellows had the opportunity to meet with diverse people, like the liberal VP of the Renew Europe party, MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk, MP from Brussels citizen’s assembly, Pepijn Kennis,  senior European Commission officer Bernard Brunet (DG NEAR), to name but a few. The group also had the chance to exchange ideas and engage with cultural institutions (EUNIC), journalists, entrepreneurs and representatives from the Motion Picture Association.

Informal networking lunches and dinners provided an alternative venue for in-depth and genuine exchanges, including planning for the next phase of the project, bonding with their trainers, and more importantly with one another.

The third and final phase of the Beyond Erasmus program will conclude with the delivery of three lectures which will take place during March-April 2022 in Adana, Eskisehir, and Samsun in cooperation with local public academic institutions. Stay tuned with ENC to find out more about the upcoming activities of our Beyond Erasmus project.

Press Release: The European Union will help rural youth strengthen digital skills and be resilient to new challenges

By Projects No Comments

The European Union will help rural youth strengthen digital skills

and be resilient to new challenges

The project “Promoting Equal Economic Opportunities and Resilience of Youth” in the Kyrgyz Republic (Sanarip Insan (Digital Citizen) was launched with the financial support of the European Union.

The aim of the project is to provide knowledge of the work of the digital and green economy to young people and women living in rural regions of the Kyrgyz Republic. This project provides for holding information events to increase the level of digital literacy in cooperation with the media and social networks, adapting and developing educational and methodological materials with representatives of the education sector, as well as conducting joint initiatives with representatives of the digital economy and government agencies to train young people to work in digital platforms in the e-government, e-commerce and digital economy sectors.

Within the framework of the project, the involved representatives of youth and women will receive the necessary knowledge and skills to successfully start their activities on Kyrgyz and international digital platforms, digital wallets, marketplaces, and will receive advanced IT enabled entrepreneurial skills. As a result of passing the training, representatives of youth and women will be able to receive funding for the implementation of their IT start-ups.

The final result of the project is to improve the indicators of youth protection according to the Sustainable Development Goals and the protection of human rights.

The project is implemented by the European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) together with the Public Association “Internet Society Kyrgyzstan Chapter” with the support of the European Union Delegation in the Kyrgyz Republic. The duration of the project is 30 months.

Additional information about the project can be obtained: by phone +996 (755) 330335 and by e-mail: isockyrgyzchapter@gmail.com or by phone +32 (0) 26465139 and by e-mail: media@encouncil.org.

‘This website was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of European Neighbourhood Council (ENC) / Public Association “Internet Society Kyrgyzstan Chapter” and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union’.

To read the project fact sheet click here and pусская версия пресс-релиза по этой ссылке. Басма сөз үчүн билдирүү кийинки шилтеме менен кыргыз тилинде жеткиликтүү.



Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic
21 Erkindik Boulevard, Business Centre Orion, 5th floor
Bishkek, 720040, Kyrgyz Republic

Telephone: +996 312 26 10 00
Fax: +996 312 26 10 07

E-mail: delegation-kyrgyzstan@eeas.europa.eu
Website: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/kyrgyzstan
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/eudelkg

The European Union is made up of 27 Member States who have decided to gradually link together their know-how, resources, and destinies. Together, during a period of enlargement of 60 years, they have built a zone of stability, democracy, and sustainable development whilst maintaining cultural diversity, tolerance, and individual freedoms. The European Union is committed to sharing its achievements and its values with countries and peoples beyond its borders.

 

Beyond Erasmus: Education, Exchanges and Employment opportunities for youth in the EU and Turkey (Phase I)

By Projects No Comments

Beyond Erasmus: Education, Exchanges and Employment opportunities for youth in the EU and Turkey (Phase I)

The European Neighbourhood Council (ENC), in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) office in Turkey has recently concluded the first of a phase of a hybrid educational programme titled “Beyond Erasmus: Education, Exchanges and Employment opportunities for youth in the EU and Turkey”. The project promotes Erasmus+ student mobility, youth exchanges, internships, training courses, networking, access to funding for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), free market entrepreneurship and Civil Society Organisations (CSO).

The project aims to create exchanges with a focus on entrepreneurship, innovation, further training and career prospects for youth in EU and Turkey. Participants from Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Turkey gained skills in the private, civil society and public sector, while staying anchored to EU legislation, strategies and new priority topics. Throughout the sessions, participants were encouraged to support each other and develop their professional networks. Against the current context of Turkish isolation, the project had a strong focus on establishing lasting friendships and exchanging ties as well as instilling skills, instruments and future financial options within the participants to support liberal universal values and cementing ties between the EU and Turkey.

During the first phase (October-November 2021) 40 participants – mainly young graduates – from Turkey, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands – attended a series of six online training sessions engaging with inspiring and talented professionals from Europe and Turkey working in media, audiovisual, think tank, Civil Society, European Commission, Academia and private sector.

After University: What now? Employment opportunities, academic career, CSOs, internships

The first session allowed participants to meet with successful professional figures, from the art and entertainment sectors, as well as civil society and journalism. The session featured the insights of three experts who shared their experiences, stories and lessons learned from working in different professions both in the EU and Turkey, while providing useful “dos and don’ts” tips regarding their respective professions.

Asli Ece Kocak (Communication Officer at the Truth Justice Memory Center) talked about her experiences in the civil society sector, employment opportunities in Turkey in this specific field and how the situation has changed during the last years in relation with the political changes in the country. Andri Haflidason (Musician and visual artist) advised the participants to invest time on what they want to do, even if they don’t generate an income they create opportunities for future employment, while Jack Parrock (Journalist Correspondent for Deutsche Welle) provided personal insights from the world of media and advised those who want to pursue a career in journalism to always sharpen their skills (language, writing, camera, presentation etc.).

“CV Writing and Interview Skills – Personal Brand Building”

g

The second session allowed participants to get valuable information on CV writing, job interviews and other practical lessons. During a highly interactive course our group had the opportunity to engage and learn from two experts in the field of human resources and job applications.

Sven Gerst (PhD candidate in Political Philosophy at the Department of Political Economy at King’s College in London) shared his experience in academic, business and CSO CV writing. He highlighted that every CV should be constructed based on the specific needs of the position you apply for, give emphasis on your achievements and follow the three main principles of relevance, structure, and clean text. Julie Vandermeulen (Head of Storytelling at Rise and Founder of Clarity Kit) advised the participants that their professional story should be developed initially as a blueprint, it must be clear, convincing and memorable in order to be conveyed in a wider audience.

Access to Funding I

The third session focused on fundraising and further learning in Turkey with EU support after Erasmus. Participants were able to meet and learn from experts in EU fundraising and other learning opportunities in Turkey, including job opportunities in EU-based CSO’s on democracy, media freedom, anti-corruption, privacy, and GDPR.

Emre Gür (Key expert at EU Think Civil – Sivil Düşün – Programme) talked about the Instrument of pre-accession assistance (IPA) programmes. He noted that the IPA is constructed from the following components i) assistance for transition and institution building, ii) cross – border cooperation, iii) regional development iv) human resources, vi) rural development. Mr. Gür spoke in more detail about two specific programmes: a) COSME which supports entrepreneurs by strengthening education, mentoring, guidance and other support services and b) Creative Europe programme which has two sector initiatives. The Culture sector initiatives, such as those promoting cross-border cooperation, platforms, networking, and literary translation. The Audiovisual sector initiatives, such as those promoting the development, distribution, or access to audiovisual works. Medeni Sungur (Founder of Kuest Media) devoted more attention to fundraising sources such as, major individual donors, campaigns, planed giving, capital campaigns, government entities and crowdfunding among others. He guided the participants through the initial preparation phase of a fund application and provided them with the initial know – how of fundraising blueprint.

Access to Funding II

The fourth session focused once more on the fundraising opportunities but this time it looked into access to funding from a top-down angle. Starting with the European Commission and the political process between the EU and Turkey, to how important it is to understand the different dimensions regarding funds towards, public institutions, academia and civil society.

Bernard Brunet (Head of the Unit at DG Near – Strategy and Turkey) talked about the political and economical situation between EU and Turkey and how it has evolved in recent years. He highlighted that the recent political developments in Turkey especially regarding the parliament and judiciary system have been weakened systematically which results in non-cooperation in key areas such as the human rights, fundamental freedoms and rule of law among others. Furthermore, he added that the difficult economic reality of Turkey is indicating that a wider part of the population is faced with harsh economic circumstances. Andrea Karlsson (Programme Manager at the European Endowment for Democracy) shared her professional experiences in the CSO field and advised the participants to search beyond the EU initiated funding programmes. She spotlighted that there are numerous professional fields that can engage in funding opportunities regarding EU-Turkey programmes, thus by having a mixture of academic or professional skills is always an advantage.

“The Future of Economy and Entertainment”

The fifth session enabled participants to engage with a panel of experts on topics ranging from employment, society, politics, economics and innovation. The session aimed at highlightign themes and topics which will be relevant societally and also in terms of employment for the future. The discussion focused on technology, data, information, entertainment, privacy, and health.

Christina Mercuriadi – Director of EU Affairs at Motion Picture Association and Giuseppe Porcaro – Head of Outreach and Governance at Bruegel devoted particular attention to the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has created for their field of work but also for the general world wide economy. The discussion evolved around the importance of technology and entertainment in which both of the speakers underscored the relevance of enriching your skills either through trainings or by pursuing a second or third degree in a relevant field of their work. By following an AI or law-related degree, depending on someone’s academic or early professional background, they will have the opportunity to work across and within different sectors that interest them, the interconnectedness of different work fields today is more relevant than ever.

EU-Turkey Relations

The sixth and final session examined the historical, economical, and cultural relations between the EU and Turkey. The session aimed to understand the reasons of what went wrong, and encouraged participants to think how previous mistakes can be avoided, tackled and improved by the new generations.

Çiğdem Nas (Secretary General at the Economic Development Foundation) talked about the EU – Turkey long historical relations and how those have evolved especially the prism of the Association Agreement. Mrs. Nas devoted particular attention to the problems that arise through the Association Process agreement, especially from the EU side such as the integration capacity, the enlargement fatigue, the rise of Euroscepticism and the populist rise on right-wing politics in the EU. The ongoing standstill in relations between Cyprus and Turkey which have international complications and stretch beyond the boundaries of it, and including the rising frictions in the Eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and Greece, are halting all progress that the EU and Turkey can have. Samuel Doveri Vesterbye (Managing Director of the European Neighbourhood Council), recognized that the initial far-fetched attempt regarding Turkey’s rapid accession to the EU through the Ankara Agreement created an enormous, entangled political mess. Mr. Vesterbye, noted also the positive side of the EU – Turkey relations, which apart from the obvious geopolitical and connectivity reasons, Turkey will benefit by the general diversity of the Union.

Concluding, apart from the online sessions, the first part of the Beyond Erasmus programme also included the preparation of a project proposal assignment, which through it, the participants will compete for the second round of the Beyond Erasmus programme. The top eight finalists, four from the EU and four from Turkey, based on gender balance, will be welcomed in Brussels during February 2022 for an educational one-week networking trip. Finally, the third phase of the Beyond Erasmus programme will conclude with the delivery of four lectures which will take place in two Turkish Universities and two EU-based academic institutions. Stay tuned with ENC to find out more about the upcoming activities of our Beyond Erasmus projects during 2022.