Turkey’s Governance Academy attracts private donation in challenging times

A non-profit initiative founded to improve the quality of governance in Turkey has attracted a significant donation from the private sector, as the country faces several challenges on the issue.

Çetin Nuhoğlu, the chairman of Tırsan A.Ş, which is one of Europe’s leading trailer producers, donated $1.5 million to the Argüden Governance Academy Fund established within the Bosphorus University Foundation (BÜVAK) in Istanbul on Dec. 5.

“Trust is the foundation of sustainable development. Good governance is the key to devising effective policies and processes in a participatory manner to achieve desired performance levels in a sustainable fashion,” Nuhoğlu said during the protocol’s signing ceremony. The ceremony was also attended by Dr. Gülay Barbarosoğlu, the rector of Boğaziçi University and the chairman of the Boğaziçi University Foundation, and Barış Dinçer, the executive director of the Argüden Governance Academy.

Nuhoğlu stressed that Turkey needs good governance in the public sector, private sector, and NGOs.

”Established under the leadership of Dr. Argüden, an internationally renowned governance expert, this Academy fills an important gap in strengthening the understanding and implementation of good governance.  Therefore, we strongly believe that supporting this initiative will help improve the sustainability of our institutions and quality of our lives”, he said.

Turkey had entered the 21st century with a young and dynamic population and there is an opportunity that should not be wasted, Barbarosoğlu said. “Good governance is the key for a sustainable future.  Therefore, training the next generation of leaders with vision and skills in governance is critically important for a...