Atatürk University | SDG 1 – No Poverty | Indicator 1.4.4 | Reporting Year: 2025
1. Institutional Commitment to Poverty-Related Policy Engagement
Atatürk University actively engages with public authorities, regional development institutions, employment agencies, local businesses and civil society stakeholders to address the economic and social dimensions of poverty.
The University recognises that poverty is multidimensional, involving not only insufficient income but also limited access to employment, education, vocational skills, social protection and opportunities for economic participation.
Accordingly, its institutional approach combines academic expertise with formal interinstitutional agreements, public employment programmes, regional development initiatives and coordinated actions supporting disadvantaged populations.
During 2025, Atatürk University participated in the implementation of national employment policy, expanded its cooperation with public institutions and entered into new agreements addressing the labour-market exclusion of vulnerable groups.
These activities demonstrate how the University contributes to public policy processes at local, regional and national levels, particularly through collaborative programme design, institutional coordination and implementation.
2. University–Government Cooperation on Regional Development
Strategic Cooperation Protocol with Erzurum Governorship
Atatürk University and the Erzurum Governorship established a strategic cooperation framework in December 2024 to develop joint projects supported by local, national and international funding mechanisms.
The agreement covers several areas relevant to multidimensional poverty reduction:
- Agriculture and rural development.
- Education and human capital.
- Healthcare and public wellbeing.
- Technology and innovation.
- Environmental sustainability.
- Energy and regional development.
The agreement provides a formal mechanism for combining the University’s research capacity with the Governorship’s public administration and regional development responsibilities.
This cooperation creates opportunities for the joint preparation of projects, exchange of technical expertise and coordination of development activities.
Its relevance to poverty-related policy engagement lies in connecting academic knowledge with public institutions responsible for regional socioeconomic development.
The protocol was signed in 2024 and is presented as an established institutional framework, rather than as a newly signed 2025 agreement.
Official evidence: Atatürk University – Strategic Cooperation Protocol with Erzurum Governorship
3. Active Participation in National Youth Employment Policy
3.1. Implementation of the İŞKUR Youth Programme in February 2025
One of Atatürk University’s most significant poverty-related policy partnerships in 2025 was its cooperation with the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR).
Through the İŞKUR Youth Programme, the University participated in a national public employment initiative designed to provide university students with work experience, income support and opportunities to develop professional skills.
The programme was implemented through cooperation between Atatürk University and the İŞKUR Erzurum Provincial Directorate.
Applications opened on 17 February 2025, with 1,750 student places available during the initial implementation phase.
On 27 February 2025, the University announced the results of a digitally conducted selection process supervised by a notary.
The official announcement reported:
| 2025 Initial Programme Indicator | Documented Result |
|---|---|
| Student applications | Approximately 11,000 |
| Students selected for work opportunities | 1,750 |
| Selection method | Notary-supervised digital lottery |
| Implementing partners | Atatürk University and İŞKUR |
The programme helped participating students combine their education with paid work experience.
By supporting income generation and professional development, the initiative addressed two interconnected dimensions of socioeconomic vulnerability: financial insecurity during higher education and limited employment experience.
Official evidence:
İŞKUR Youth Programme Applications – 17 February 2025
İŞKUR Youth Programme Selection Results – 27 February 2025
3.2. Income Support and Social Protection
The University’s February 2025 programme information specified that participating students could work for up to three days per week and receive payments based on the number of eligible participation days.
The published conditions included:
- A daily participation payment of TRY 1,083.
- Potential monthly support of up to TRY 15,162, depending on eligible participation.
- Coverage of relevant short-term insurance contributions.
- Opportunities to gain experience in technology services, digital content development, cultural activities and administrative support.
- An eligibility condition relating to household income, which could not exceed three times the applicable net minimum wage.
The household-income criterion is especially relevant to SDG 1 because it links programme eligibility to socioeconomic circumstances.
This initiative therefore represents more than a general career development activity: it connects income support, social protection and skills development through a public employment programme.
Official evidence: Atatürk University – İŞKUR Youth Programme Conditions, 10 February 2025
3.3. Expansion of the Programme in October–November 2025
Atatürk University’s cooperation with İŞKUR continued during the second half of 2025.
In October, the University announced a new application period for the Youth Programme, with an expanded allocation of 3,697 places.
Applications were accepted between 20 and 24 October 2025.
The University’s subsequent implementation documentation stated that the programme was scheduled to operate between 10 November 2025 and 30 June 2026.
The approved activity areas included sustainable campus operations, infrastructure support, social and cultural activities, academic and administrative support, community services, student development, digital transformation and entrepreneurship ecosystem activities.
The expansion from the initial 1,750 places to a later allocation of 3,697 places demonstrates the University’s continuing role in delivering a national youth employment initiative.
These figures represent successive programme allocations and should not automatically be added together as unique annual beneficiaries.
Official evidence:
İŞKUR Youth Programme – October 2025 Applications
İŞKUR Youth Programme – November 2025 Implementation
4. Policy Partnership for Employment of Disadvantaged Groups
Tripartite Cooperation Protocol – 18 December 2025
A particularly important example of poverty-related policy engagement occurred on 18 December 2025, when Atatürk University signed a cooperation protocol with:
- Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
- Erzurum Commodity Exchange.
- Atatürk University.
The agreement concerns the Project for Integrating Disadvantaged Groups into the Service Sector.
The project is intended to improve employment opportunities and social integration for people under probation supervision and former prisoners.
Under the proposed cooperation framework, participants would receive vocational education in areas including:
- Culinary skills.
- Service management.
- Hygiene and sanitation.
- Other occupational competencies relevant to the hospitality and service sectors.
The planned training period was four weeks, with successful participants expected to become eligible for certificates and potential employment opportunities in hotels, restaurants and related businesses.
The Erzurum Commodity Exchange was identified as the project applicant, while the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Probation Directorate and Atatürk University’s Faculty of Tourism were identified as project partners.
The initiative was intended for submission to the Northeast Anatolia Development Agency (KUDAKA).
Relevance to Multidimensional Poverty Reduction
This agreement directly addresses barriers that can prevent disadvantaged individuals from achieving financial independence.
People with a history of criminal justice involvement may face difficulties obtaining employment, developing vocational skills and reintegrating into the labour market.
By bringing together a university, a public justice institution and a regional business organisation, the partnership creates a framework for addressing these challenges through vocational education and potential employment pathways.
Atatürk University’s contribution includes academic and vocational expertise through its Faculty of Tourism.
The agreement provides clear evidence of participation in a collaboratively designed public-interest initiative.
As of the documented December 2025 announcement, the project was at the protocol and funding-application stage. The evidence does not establish that all proposed training or employment outcomes had already been achieved.
Official evidence: Atatürk University – Cooperation Protocol for Employment of Disadvantaged Groups, 18 December 2025
5. Cooperation with the Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services
Formal Agreement Signed on 30 May 2025
Atatürk University and the Erzurum Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services signed a formal cooperation agreement on 30 May 2025.
The agreement establishes cooperation concerning postgraduate education and related academic arrangements for the participating institutions.
This partnership connects the University’s educational resources with a provincial public institution responsible for important areas of social welfare administration.
The agreement provides a formal channel for cooperation and professional educational development involving public service personnel.
Such cooperation can contribute to strengthening institutional expertise within public services relevant to vulnerable populations.
However, the agreement is specifically concerned with postgraduate education; it should not be interpreted as evidence that the University directly designed social assistance benefit levels or implemented a new poverty relief policy through this protocol.
Official evidence:
Atatürk University – Institutional Postgraduate Education Protocols
6. Regional Employment Cooperation and Labour-Market Engagement
Northeast Anatolia Career Fair – KUDAKAF’25
Atatürk University hosted the Northeast Anatolia Career Fair (KUDAKAF’25) on 25–26 April 2025.
The event was organised through cooperation involving the University, regional higher education institutions, public authorities and employers.
According to the University’s official report published on 3 May 2025, the event achieved the following results:
| KUDAKAF’25 Indicator | Reported Outcome |
|---|---|
| Event dates | 25–26 April 2025 |
| Participants | Approximately 65,000 students |
| Participating organisations | More than 200 public and private sector organisations |
| Activities | Employer meetings, interviews, internship opportunities, career panels and professional development |
The event created a platform for students and graduates to engage directly with employers and explore potential employment pathways.
Public–Private Coordination
The University’s preparatory activities included a strategic planning meeting involving regional public authorities and representatives of the business community.
This demonstrates institutional cooperation in responding to regional labour-market needs.
The career fair complements formal employment policy programmes by strengthening connections between educational institutions, employers and prospective workers.
Although the event was not itself a poverty-specific policy, it addressed employment access and the transition from education to work, both of which are relevant to reducing economic vulnerability.
Official evidence:
KUDAKAF’25 – Official Results, 3 May 2025
KUDAKAF’25 – Regional Public and Business Coordination
7. Strategic Governance and Community Contribution
Atatürk University Strategic Plan 2024–2028
Atatürk University’s 2024–2028 Strategic Plan provides an institutional framework for aligning education, research, regional development and community contribution.
Community contribution is a recognised dimension of the University’s strategic governance.
The University’s Community Contribution Commission and related academic and administrative units support the coordination of activities involving external stakeholders and regional institutions.
This framework enables the University to integrate public engagement into institutional planning rather than treating it solely as an occasional voluntary activity.
Institutional Relevance to Poverty-Related Policy Engagement
The University’s strategic governance framework supports cooperation in areas that affect multidimensional poverty, including:
- Educational access and human capital development.
- Regional economic development.
- Employment and professional skills.
- Public health and social wellbeing.
- Innovation and sustainable enterprise development.
- Community inclusion and institutional partnerships.
The 2025 employment and disadvantaged-group cooperation initiatives provide concrete examples of how this institutional commitment is translated into collaborative programmes.
Institutional evidence:
Atatürk University – Community Contribution Commission
Atatürk University – Strategy Development Department
8. Forms of Policy Engagement Demonstrated in 2025
Atatürk University’s documented activities demonstrate several distinct forms of engagement with public policy.
| Policy Engagement Mechanism | 2025 Evidence | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| National policy implementation | İŞKUR Youth Programme | Income support, work experience and social protection |
| Programme expansion and institutional coordination | İŞKUR allocation of 3,697 places | Expanded capacity for student employment opportunities |
| Collaborative project design | Disadvantaged Groups Employment Protocol | Proposed vocational training and labour-market reintegration |
| Cooperation with social welfare administration | Family and Social Services agreement | Professional education and institutional cooperation |
| Regional employment coordination | KUDAKAF’25 | Connections among public institutions, employers and prospective workers |
| Regional development cooperation | Established Governorship protocol | Formal framework for joint development projects |
| Strategic governance | Community contribution and institutional planning | Alignment of university activities with regional needs |
The strongest direct evidence concerns the University’s participation in policy implementation and interinstitutional programme development.
Evidence of formal involvement in drafting national legislation or setting government poverty policy is not established by the sources presented here.
9. Addressing Poverty in Multiple Dimensions
Atatürk University’s 2025 activities address several interconnected dimensions of poverty and social exclusion.
Income and Economic Security
The İŞKUR Youth Programme provided eligible students with paid work opportunities while continuing their education.
The programme’s household-income eligibility condition makes it particularly relevant to socioeconomic vulnerability.
Employment and Skills
The University’s collaboration with İŞKUR, its role in KUDAKAF’25 and the planned vocational training for disadvantaged groups address barriers to labour-market participation.
Social Inclusion
The December 2025 protocol specifically targets individuals who may face social stigma and employment exclusion.
Its collaborative structure connects public administration, academic expertise and employers.
Institutional Capacity
Cooperation with the Erzurum Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services and other public institutions creates opportunities to strengthen professional knowledge and institutional collaboration.
Regional Development
The Governorship partnership and regional employment initiatives provide mechanisms for addressing development challenges through cooperation among academic, governmental and economic stakeholders.
These activities do not independently establish measurable reductions in poverty rates. They do, however, demonstrate concrete institutional participation in programmes and partnerships addressing recognised drivers of economic disadvantage.
10. Documented 2025 Outcomes
| Date | Activity | Verified Result or Status |
|---|---|---|
| February 2025 | İŞKUR Youth Programme | Approximately 11,000 applications; 1,750 students selected |
| 25–26 April 2025 | KUDAKAF’25 | Approximately 65,000 participants; over 200 organisations |
| 30 May 2025 | Family and Social Services cooperation | Formal postgraduate education agreement signed |
| October 2025 | Expanded İŞKUR Youth Programme | 3,697 places announced |
| November 2025 | İŞKUR Programme implementation | New programme period scheduled from 10 November 2025 |
| 18 December 2025 | Disadvantaged Groups Employment Protocol | Tripartite agreement signed; vocational training project planned |
These records provide dated evidence of public-sector cooperation, policy programme implementation and collaborative action addressing employment, income and social inclusion.
Conclusion
Atatürk University demonstrates substantive engagement with public institutions and regional stakeholders in addressing the economic and social dimensions of poverty.
During 2025, the University participated in the implementation and expansion of the İŞKUR Youth Programme, initially enabling 1,750 students to access paid work opportunities and subsequently announcing an expanded allocation of 3,697 places.
It also entered into a formal partnership with the Erzurum Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and Erzurum Commodity Exchange to develop vocational training and employment opportunities for disadvantaged individuals.
Additional cooperation with the Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services and the organisation of KUDAKAF’25 strengthened the University’s connections with public administration, regional employers and social development institutions.
Together with its established cooperation framework with the Erzurum Governorship and its strategic commitment to community contribution, these initiatives demonstrate Atatürk University’s role in collaborative policy implementation, institutional coordination and the development of programmes addressing multidimensional poverty.
Through these actions, Atatürk University contributes to SDG 1 – No Poverty, Indicator 1.4.4: Policy Engagement to End Poverty in All Its Dimensions.
