UNESCO Learning CityYozgatTürkiye
Yozgat, located in Türkiye, was inducted into UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities in 2022.
Mr. Celal KöseMayor of Yozgat
“With its central location, our city ranks 47th among 81 provinces in terms of population size. According to data from 2021, the population of the province, which is 418 500, constitutes 5% of the country’s population. As of 2021, Yozgat’s Gross Domestic Product is 5.4 billion Turkish Lira, with 21% of the GDP consisting of products from the agricultural sector, 10% from construction, and 8% from industry. It also has many cultural and touristic values.”
Yozgat: an important junction between the West and East
Yozgat’s history dates to Hittite civilization in the late eighteenth century. Its ancient Roman baths are still open to the public today. Economic activities are mainly based on agriculture, as well as clothing production, metalworks, and brick and concrete manufacturing. Because of its proximity to Türkiye’s capital, Ankara, Yozgat is considered an important junction between the West and East.
Mr. Celal KöseMayor of Yozgat
“In the global world, topics are changing rapidly, and cities should respond with policies that are as compatible as possible to adapt to these changes. Because of this situation, the importance of cities has increased. In addition, when we look at the urbanization situation of the world population, we can see that it supports this. As a result, we decided to join the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities by meeting with the actors in our city, and including our city’s current situation, vision, and examples of good practice in our application process. We have prepared a determined application form by also mentioning how our involvement in the global network will contribute to policymaking in our city. With these preparations, we have taken an important step in our city’s worldwide presence, promotion, and policy development by being included in the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities in 2022.”
Yozgat’s lifelong learning vision
The city’s strategy aims to increase employment rates through vocational education. It also hopes that a robust lifelong learning strategy will contribute to reducing the loss of natural habitats and biodiversity and mitigate the effects of climate change.
Sustainability and health in Yozgat
Yozgat provides not only medical services but also trainings and events to promote healthy lifestyles. Through its ‘mother- and baby-friendly’ initiative, consultancy services are provided during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. The city has also made efforts to carry out COVID-19 vaccine-awareness campaigns.
Promoting equity and inclusion
Reducing inequalities is a major topic for Yozgat. Vocational training is therefore provided to disadvantaged groups along with support and grant programmes. To promote the rights of children and young people, students of all ages are elected as spokespeople and given civil rights training.
Mr. Celal KöseMayor of Yozgat
“We continue to work diligently with the stakeholders in our province so that education can be accessible to all segments of all ages.”
Strengthening entrepreneurship
Yozgat provides financial support to people who have completed entrepreneurship training to help them establish their own businesses. In addition, the city’s Teknopark promotes the creation and development of technology-oriented companies, increases synergy and cooperation opportunities, and creates job opportunities for qualified people.
Yozgat’s good practices Nature Education Centre
Programmes on wildlife and biodiversity are offered at the Nature Education Centre, which has to date served 3,730 people, including 131 schools. Trainings consist of the introduction to wild animals, visits to a herbarium, nature walks, and bird watching.
Yozgat’s good practices Play Street
One of the goals of the Play Street initiative is to facilitate the integration and adaptation of refugee children through cultural, scientific and artistic activities, especially considering the influx of Syrian refugees in the city.
The project intends to increase children's play and interaction areas, while raising awareness of the parents about child education. Within the scope of the Project, which started in 2021, it is planned to provide education to 500 children, 50% of whom are immigrants.
The project intends to increase children's play and interaction areas, while raising awareness of the parents about child education. Within the scope of the Project, which started in 2021, it is planned to provide education to 500 children, 50% of whom are immigrants.
Yozgat’s good practices OkuYoz Project
The aim of the OkuYoz Project is to increase children’s reading habits. By including parents in the process, it hopes to create a reading culture throughout the province.
Mr. Celal KöseMayor of Yozgat
“We are excited to see both the promotion of our city and the activities of other learning cities. I send greetings to all other learning cities. Best regards.
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) supports and improves the practice of lifelong learning in member cities by promoting policy dialogue and peer learning, documenting effective strategies and good practice, fostering partnerships, providing capacity development, and developing tools and instruments to design, implement and monitor learning cities strategies.
UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
Image Credits: City of Yozgat; Savas Bozkaya/Getty Images; Daniel Reche/Pexels; Jeswin Thomas; vgajic/Getty Images; ArtMassa/Getty Images; City of Yozgat; Alena Shekhovtsova/baseimage
UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
Image Credits: City of Yozgat; Savas Bozkaya/Getty Images; Daniel Reche/Pexels; Jeswin Thomas; vgajic/Getty Images; ArtMassa/Getty Images; City of Yozgat; Alena Shekhovtsova/baseimage
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Yozgat
Mr. Celal Köse
Yozgat: an important junction between the West and East
Mr. Celal Köse
Yozgat’s lifelong learning vision
Sustainability and health in Yozgat
Promoting equity and inclusion
Mr. Celal Köse
Strengthening entrepreneurship
Nature Education Centre
Play Street
OkuYoz Project
Mr. Celal Köse
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities