Campus

Meet the society: Turkish Student Association

SV Hezarfen, the Turkish Student Association of TU Delft, takes its name from Persian and Arabic words that mean “thousand sciences”. The name is apt, as the group represents students of Turkish and bicultural backgrounds who are studying the sciences at the university.

Founded in 2013, this young organization has about seventy members at present, but is growing quickly. According to Yavuz Cinek, a mechanical engineering student who was born in the Netherlands, they have an open charter and value integration. This means they welcome people of other ethnic minorities as well as Dutch students who are interested in learning about Turkish culture. “It’s important to get different perspectives,” said Cinek, who does PR for SV Hezarfen. He explained that it can be difficult for Turkish and other minorities to find their place here because of religious and cultural differences.

With the aim of promoting integration and self development, the group organizes networking and social events, informational activities and lectures. Together with several other organizations, SV Hezarfen recently held the second Business Meets Students event. A number of successful entrepreneurs and professionals came together with students to discuss business opportunities, to share success stories and to give advice about potential challenges.

Because of the group’s inclusive nature, many events are conducted in English to encourage international students to participate. One such event is what SV Hezarfen calls High Cay or a high tea. The next edition of this regular event will be a Moroccan-themed tea on Tuesday May 27 2014 at the Culture Centre. “We want to bring people together in an environment that fits our culture,” stated Burak Ulubas, a civil engineering student who was also born in the Netherlands. Ulubas also does PR for the student association.

Both Cinek and Ulubas talked about being part of a sub-cultural group, with Turkish roots and culture while being born and raised in Dutch society. Cinek explained that one of the main goals of the association is to provide an alternative place for students who don’t like to drink or party. “We want to create a warm welcome for first year students who want to have friends who are likeminded people,” he said. Ulubas was quick to mention that one advantage of being bicultural is the ability to take good things from each culture and combine them.

For more information on membership and events visit their Facebook page or website.

This is part of our ongoing series Meet The Society which highlights different student groups and societies at TU Delft. If you’d like to suggest an organziation for us to cover, please email us at deltainternational@tudelft.nl.

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