Atatürk Üniversitesi embraces its role as a comprehensive, socially-anchored institution by providing targeted outreach educational activities directed at broad community groups—specifically alumni, the local community, and displaced persons and refugees. These activities are institutionally owned and systematically organised via the University’s governance, research and social-engagement units.
For alumni, the University maintains a dedicated alumni relations framework (via its Career Planning and Alumni Tracking Centre) that brings together former students through events and capacity-building workshops. For example, in March 2020 the University ran its “Doğu Anadolu Kariyer Fuarı (DAKAF’20)” bringing alumni, students and external stakeholders together to share knowledge, network and engage in professional development. mezun.atauni.edu.tr Through this, the University not only connects alumni to the broader community but provides continuing education opportunities that align with sustainable development goals such as lifelong learning (SDG 4) and decent work (SDG 8).
For the local community, Atatürk Üniversitesi—via its Toplumsal Duyarlılık Projeleri Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi (Center for Social Sensitivity Projects, TDP)—runs numerous educational outreach initiatives. These include programmes such as “Köy Okullarına Destek Projesi”, “Bayat Ekmekler Çöpe Değil Hayvan Dostlarımıza” and “Dişlerimi Seviyorum, Kocaman Gülümsüyorum”, which provide knowledge, awareness and skills to local residents, school-children and rural communities. birimler.atauni.edu.tr These projects integrate the University’s educational mission with regional social need, offering free educational modules, workshops and community events that promote sustainable practices (SDG 12, SDG 15) and inclusive social development (SDG 10).
For displaced persons and refugees, Atatürk Üniversitesi explicitly includes this group in its outreach educational activities. The Centre’s documented project “Dezavantajlı ve Göçmen Öğrencilere Destek Projesi” (Disadvantaged and Migrant Students Support Project) launched in October 2021, provides educational support, mentorship and capacity-building for migrant students and their families. tdm.atauni.edu.tr Moreover, the University’s research activity on migration (“Doğu Sınırlarından Türkiye’ye Yaya Mülteci Akını ve Ortaya Çıkan Sorunlar”, published by its Social Sciences Institute) demonstrates institutional awareness and educational engagement around displacement. DergiPark Through these programmes, Atatürk Üniversitesi creates inclusive educational opportunities for displaced persons, supporting their integration and advancing equitable education (SDG 4) and reduced inequalities (SDG 10).
Institutionally, these outreach activities are embedded in the University’s official organisational structure: the TDP Centre’s mission explicitly states it “imi ihtiyaçlarını belirleyerek … eğitim ve dokümantasyon çalışmaları” yürütmek. Atatürk Üniversitesi The University publishes its projects, welcomes community participation and aligns its outreach with sustainability objectives and SDG frameworks.
In conclusion, Atatürk Üniversitesi—acting as a body—provides dedicated outreach educational activities for its alumni, the local community, and displaced persons/refugees, through structured programs, capacity-building workshops and inclusive community education initiatives. These efforts fully satisfy the requirements of Indicator 17.4.3, demonstrating the University’s strong institutional commitment to sustainable and inclusive education beyond its campus.
