Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Turkey
  • Istanbul
  • Education
  • Investigations
  • Minorities
  • Expat Corner
  • Diaspora

Musical breakthrough: Turkey’s first PhD student with autism

by DAILY SABAH

ISTANBUL Sep 16, 2021 - 2:36 pm GMT+3
Buğra Çankır plays piano at home, in the capital Ankara, Turkey, Sept. 16, 2021. (AA PHOTO)
Buğra Çankır plays piano at home, in the capital Ankara, Turkey, Sept. 16, 2021. (AA PHOTO)
by DAILY SABAH Sep 16, 2021 2:36 pm
RECOMMENDED
Education Minister Mahmut Özer speaks to reporters in Malatya, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. (IHA Photo)

Türkiye shuts schools for week after catastrophic earthquake

türkiye

Buğra Çankır is already distinguished from his peers as someone with perfect pitch. The musical genius now has another title: Turkey’s first doctoral student with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Twenty-seven-year-old Çankır earned his new position when the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) lifted the foreign language requirement for doctoral students with autism after his father campaigned and wrote a petition. It is a major milestone for people with autism, who suffer from a lack of awareness about their condition, which hampers their social integration.

A lecturer at Ankara University of Music and Fine Arts, the musical savant now aims to go further with doctoral studies. “I want to further my education and do my best. I want to be a world-famous autistic artist,” Çankır, who suffers from communication difficulties due to his condition, told Anadolu Agency (AA) in a brief interview on Thursday.

Çankır was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at 3 years old and was an early learner, ahead of his peers by learning how to write some six months later. But piano classes he took later were the turning point in his life. When Çankır was still 10, his music teacher suspected he might have perfect pitch, a rare ability to re-create a given musical note without any reference tone. His parents took the young boy to the University of California, where they tested him for this skill. He received 36 full points from the perfect pitch test conducted by the university and was chosen as having the most sophisticated perfect pitch among 664 people. Back in Turkey, however, his music education hit a snag when he was not admitted to conservatory middle schools due to his autism. After completing a fine arts high school, Çankır graduated from a state conservatory in 2016.

A successful concert pianist since then, Çankır also managed to be the first student with autism to pass postgraduate exams, which he took at the music department of the Institute of Social Sciences at Afyon Kocatepe University, before passing the doctoral degree admission exam at Ankara University of Music and Fine Arts.

“He paved the way for talented autistic people and I am proud of him for this reason,” his father Kemal Çankır says. He hails the “historic” decision by YÖK after his petition for the removal of the foreign language exam requirement. “Buğra worked for five hours every day after he was eligible for doctorate and passed the admission exam. We are very happy,” the father said.

RECOMMENDED
Education Minister Mahmut Özer speaks to reporters in Malatya, Monday, Feb. 6, 2023. (IHA Photo)

Türkiye shuts schools for week after catastrophic earthquake

türkiye
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Sep 16, 2021 4:02 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    absolute pitch autism doctoral student music asd
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    A view of the rubble of a building hit by the earthquake in Pazarcık, Kahramanmaraş, Feb. 6, 2023. (AA Photo)

    Death toll rises to 3,419 after magnitude 7.7 quake rocks SE Türkiye

    EARTHQUAKE
    The collapsed part of Gaziantep Castle, Feb. 6, 2023. (DHA Photo)

    Gaziantep Castle collapses after magnitude 7.7 quake hit Türkiye

    EARTHQUAKE

    Kahramanmaraş, Hatay, Gaziantep suspend flights after 7.7 earthquake

    EARTHQUAKE

    Deadly quake damages Türkiye's energy infrastructure, major port

    earthquake
    No Image
    Artsy and round all around: Indonesia Umbrella Festival 2021
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021