Female delegates from Turkey learn leadership skills

Nimet Koyuncuoglu and Arzu Korkmaz, of Turkey, discuss decision making Tuesday as part of the 10-day “Women in Action: An American Experience” program in White Hall.

Credit: Andrew popik

The university has won a grant from the U. S. Department of State to have delegates from southeastern Turkey come to the campus.

Twelve female representatives were chosen to come to Kent State for 10 days to learn leadership skills.

The program teaches delegates how to be politically active and how to change things through interaction with their country’s administration, said Linda Robertson, academic program director of educational student life.

“The women will go back to Turkey and train 50 other women in the skills they learned here,” she said.

The U.S. Department of State advertised a grant to colleges and women’s interest groups all over the nation for these women to come to America.

“Kent State’s proposal was deemed the best out of all the proposals,” Robertson said.

This particular grant was appealing to Kent State because it has had a long standing relationship with Turkey, she said.

“There have been a lot of collaborations,” Robertson said.

Adult Services Director Rachel Anderson has been working on similar projects with other Kent State students.

“We are talking about adult literacy and training adults. Rachel’s training and her position fit in nicely with the grant,” Robertson said. “Many of these women come from diverse backgrounds within Turkey, which is similar to what she has when she works with Kent State.”

Anderson and Robertson traveled to Turkey during Thanksgiving week to interview candidates to come to America, said Shana Lee, student multicultural center director.

Twenty candidates were interviewed, Robertson said. Those picked were chosen based on “whether they were determined to be an active member of the community, and if they were involved in women’s issues and whether they could work as a team.”

The long term goals of the grant include improving conditions for women in southeastern Turkey and Iraq and providing people with a way to access their government.

Contact student affairs reporter Adria Barbour at [email protected].