The Course on Research in Social Sciences: Qualitative Methodology and Participatory Action Research Has Been Completed

The Project Titled “A Socio-Cultural Model Proposal for the Preservation of the Gagauz Language and Culture: Turning Healthy Bilingualism into an Advantage for the Gagauz” was Ranked First and Selected for Funding under the 2530 TÜBİTAK–Moldova (NARD) Bilateral Cooperation Program

Carried out under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Gökçesu Akşit Dudaklı between 2025 and 2027, the project is being implemented through a partnership between Komrat State University, Maltepe University, and Trakya University.

One of the project’s key components, a course titled “Research in Social Sciences: Qualitative Methodology and Participatory Action Research,” was successfully completed between April 8 and June 10, 2025.

🎓 10-Week International Training Program Successfully Delivered

The course was launched with an opening session attended by the Rector of Maltepe University, Prof. Dr. Edibe Sözen Çetintaş, and was jointly led by Prof. Dr. Belma Akşit and Prof. Dr. Gökçesu Akşit Dudaklı.

Held online every Tuesday from 15:00 to 17:00 via Maltepe University’s Blackboard Learn platform, the sessions offered both theoretical and practical training on qualitative research methodologies and participatory action research.

More than 35 participants — including academics and social science students — from Maltepe and Trakya Universities in Türkiye, as well as from Komrat State University in Moldova, took part in the program.

🎓 Certificates of Participation to Be Awarded

Participants who actively attended at least eight of the ten sessions will be awarded certificates during an official ceremony. Those who were unable to attend live sessions were given access to the recorded content.

🌍 Contributions to International Academic Cooperation

Beyond being an academic training initiative, this course represents the first step in establishing a model for cultural sustainability based on bilingualism — a key goal of the project.

Moreover, the program serves as a significant reference for the upcoming implementation phase in Moldova and is expected to contribute to the expansion of Turkish academic terminology within the Gagauz region.

📌 With the completion of this course, the project has now moved into its second phase, which includes field research and on-site applications. Updates regarding this phase will be shared in the coming period.

🔗 Model Gagavuz YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@modelgagauz