The Commission for Educational Exchange between the United States and Turkey, the Turkish Fulbright Commission, was established by a bi-national agreement signed between the United States and Turkey in 1949. Since the creation of the Commission in 1949, funding has been provided by the governments of Turkey and the United States. Join Turkey as they celebrate 75 years of the Fulbright Program with a full day of events.

The Turkish Fulbright Commission hosted their Fulbright Day on May 7, 2021 with a series of special live events to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Fulbright program and 71 years of its presence in Turkey.

Fulbright Turkey's day began with a video release showcasing portraits of some of our many alumni who have passed away, who inspired us and enriched our lives. After the opening remarks by the Turkish Fulbright Commission’s Executive Director Dr. Ersel Aydınlı, three live events followed, in which our alumni discussed how Fulbright had impacted their lives and how their experiences had enhanced their professions.

The first panel titled, “Reunion: U.S. Alumni on Making Turkey Their Home” brought together four of our U.S. alumni from different grant categories and professions who still live in Turkey: Dr. Julie Mathews, Dr. Victoria R. Holbrook, Ms. Sarah Elizabeth Kılınç, and Mr. Devin P. Brown. The panelists talked about some of the rewarding experiences they have had in Turkey and how they decided to stay in the country. The second panel, titled “After Fulbright: Career Opportunities and New Horizons”, brought together four of our Turkish alumni, Dr. Yusuf Kağan Kadıoğlu, Mr. Faruk Aktay, Mr. Enes Umur Gökçek and Ms. Meltem Ateş, to discuss and share their experiences during and after their grant periods, with prospective grantees in mind.

These two panels were followed by “Inspiring Story: A Conversation with Dr. Thomas Lovejoy”. Dr. Thomas Lovejoy was a 50th Anniversary Distinguished Fellows Program grantee to Turkey in 1996 and is known as “The Godfather of Biological Diversity”. The conversation covered past and present scholarship in the field; how research has influenced policy and practice on the ground; progress and points of optimism; and how COVID-19 has impacted perceptions of the value of biodiversity on a global and personal level.

We wish to thank our panelists who made these events very entertaining and thoroughly informative, for their invaluable contributions, and the ECA Outreach Team for their tireless support and assistance to make our Country Day for Fulbright Turkey a great success and a day to remember.

The full schedule is below. The full recording of the event will be posted soon.