In Şırnak, southeastern Türkiye, 25 individuals have been offered the opportunity to receive education at Şırnak University through the "60 Rejuvenation University Project."
The project, conducted by the Ministry of Family and Social Services at 17 universities, aims to support elderly individuals in leading active, healthy and productive lives. The goal is to strengthen personal development, the excitement of learning and social connections for individuals aged 60 and above.
As part of the "60 Rejuvenation University Project," 25 individuals, including 11 retired teachers, who applied to Şırnak University, are benefiting from courses provided by academics. The university offers weekly four-hour classes on health, agriculture and social fields.
Professor Abdurrahim Alkış, rector of Şırnak University, shared with Anadolu Agency (AA) that they invited citizens aged 60 and above to the university through this project and that 25 people had applied. Alkış expressed his joy and pride in carrying out this project in Şırnak and mentioned that the students showed great interest in the classes.
Alkış added: "Initially, we didn’t expect this level of participation. We found more interest than we anticipated. High school students attend for 45 minutes, undergraduate students for 1.5 hours, graduate students for two hours and doctoral students for about three hours. We are seeing that our students, too, enjoy attending classes for three hours, which makes us very happy."
"Valuable courses are being taught by our faculty members in health, agriculture and social fields. More than half of the participants have previously attended university, while the others are high school and middle school graduates. We are also benefiting from their experiences, which are valuable for our young faculty members," he added.
"Interest and demand exceeded expectations," Dr. Nurullah Yelboğa, a faculty member of the Department of Social Services at the Faculty of Health Sciences at Şırnak University, also mentioned the demand for the Rejuvenation University project and that they had just started classes. They are planning to increase the number of class hours.
Yelboğa explained: "This project aims to bring different segments of society together under the same roof, to bring elderly individuals and young people together, and to exchange knowledge and experience. On the other hand, the life experiences of the elderly are being passed on to the younger generation, ensuring a mutual exchange of information."
Yelboğa also noted that urban life tends to isolate people, especially the elderly. This project aims to help elderly individuals, who might otherwise spend their time in cafes or at home, engage in a more active and effective lifestyle by attending university classes.
He continued: "We were initially concerned that Şırnak's potential might challenge us, but the demand and interest have exceeded our expectations, which made us happy. We provide courses on health, family life, law, field crops and horticulture. We pick up the students with a shuttle on class days, and they can benefit from all the same facilities as other students on campus."
"It's great to be at university at this age." Rahmet Yumak, a 60-year-old retiree attending the classes, shared that the project gave him the opportunity to apply to the university and that he had received valuable lessons from the professors. Yumak mentioned that after the classes, he realized how eager they were to acquire knowledge.
"I invite anyone curious about education to come and experience this atmosphere. They say, 'There is no age for learning,' and we really saw that again. It has been proven that education is needed not only by the young but also by people of our age. Our university is a beautiful place. Instead of wasting time in coffee corners, retirees should come here and receive education. I am very pleased. We will learn a lot from our professors," he said.
Halil Uysal also expressed his gratitude to those responsible for making this opportunity available and stated that he was refreshing his knowledge through the classes. Uysal shared his positive energy from the lessons and said: "It feels really good. I am a high school graduate, and I’ve been a tradesman for 40 years. It's great to be at university at this age and to experience these feelings."
