Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ), with the mission of transforming universal knowledge into societal contribution, is preparing to undertake an important project called "Burdur Welfare Map". The aim of the project is to analyze the current situation of the city, determine its needs, deficiencies, and welfare level, and share this information with policymakers to develop city-specific projects. When the project is completed, the welfare level of a province in Turkey will be mapped in such a comprehensive manner.

The project will be carried out with the support of the Burdur Development Center in collaboration with various coordinators and centers of MAKÜ. Additionally, a field study will be conducted on societal contribution, happiness, sustainability, disability, and combating addiction through a survey conducted by undergraduate students. It is planned to reach at least 5,000 people within the scope of this comprehensive study. This study, which is unprecedented in Turkey, will create the welfare map of the province and provide an important data source for policymakers and local actors.

Providing information about the project, Social Contribution Coordinator Dr. Lecturer Mehmet Öçal stated that the project of creating Burdur’s Welfare Map is a study coordinated and designed by the Social Contribution Coordination with the Burdur Development Center; “As the Social Contribution Coordination, we designed a project called Burdur welfare map to realize our university's mission of transforming universal knowledge into societal contribution. We will conduct our study by reaching at least 5,000 people in Burdur center with the questions we designed. In Burdur's welfare, we will explore Burdur’s income, poverty status, health status, social exclusion, addiction, is there violence in Burdur? Are the people in Burdur happy? What do people expect from the university? What kind of social policies can we produce in line with the needs of the people? This is actually a framework where we can reveal Burdur’s needs. What are the points the city needs? What are the deficiencies we can identify in the city? We will research these. It is a study where each institution in our university is involved, preparing the questions, and ultimately conducted under the auspices of the Social Contribution Coordination with the support of the Burdur Development Center. Already, one of the biggest actors in our university's motto of transforming universal knowledge into societal contribution is the Social Contribution Coordination. That is, the university that touches its city, is beneficial to its city, increases the welfare of the city, and enhances the function of contributing to society by distilling science. Our main goal is for the university to touch the city more, increase the city's welfare, support its livability, and this study is a guide for the projects we will do. Actually, this is a lighthouse, it will guide us, we will design our projects accordingly. We will intensify our projects according to the statistics that emerge. These projects will also be a research that guides us. That's why we attach great importance. We will identify the real problems with the resources provided to us by the public and address them with strong social policies and strong social projects, reducing and eliminating the problem. So this study will show us the right path.” He said.

The project will be the first welfare map of a province made in Turkey

Öçal, stating that the project will be one of the first studies in Turkey in terms of a welfare map of a province made in this scope, said; “Our welfare map study will initially be implemented as a pilot in Burdur center. In the coming years, we plan to create the welfare map of the entire province with the support and coordination of our coordinators and vocational schools in Burdur’s districts. We will send 20 part-time students, whom we specially trained, to the field. They will start immediately after obtaining the permissions for the field study. We plan for our field study to last approximately 2-2.5 months. Then, with the analyses, we will present Burdur’s welfare map around July. We will report and present this to our administration and Burdur. Because there are very few studies that measure the welfare of a population, the welfare of a city, in such a wide scope.” he said.” şeklinde konuştu.

https://www.mehmetakif.edu.tr/haber/1463/maku-burdurun-refah-haritasini-cikaracak