Turkish Prof. warns Uganda on education

THE former Turkish Consul to Benin in West Africa Prof. Orhan Kural has warned Uganda against cheapening its tourism potential like some of its neighbouring countries. 

 

 “Uganda has a great tourism potential that need to be repeatedly marketed. There is so much wealth in the country’s tourism sector,” Prof. Kural noted, while addressing the press in Kampala.

 

“But note should be taken that its value has to be set and maintained. No country matches the potential of Uganda on this continent,” he emphasised. 

 

Up to now, Prof. Kural has been to 226 Different Countries on five continents. His aspiration to travel, he says, arose in his soul at the age of 14 years old, in 1964.

 

Prof. Kural, who has always believed in a close relationship between Tourism and the Environment, has participated in over 4200 conferences and slide shows on various places ranging from primary schools to universities and police academies.

 

He has argued that the further a country loses its environmental resources and biological richness the more it loses its potential. With regard to tourism, he also emphasises his philosophy that travel will enable people to get to know each other and hence removes prejudices and cultivates peace in the long term.

 

Meanwhile, he also applauded Uganda’s education system, saying its reviews and overhauls will greatly benefit the country. Uganda has started the ‘Skilling Uganda’ programme, aimed at reducing unemployment and strengthening economic growth. 

 

He added that apart from skilling students, it has also rightly prioritised science education. He also pledged scholarships to Ugandan students who are willing to study technology and science related courses, at Istanbul Technical University.  This will cater for Senior Six leavers and graduate students. Extra details can be obtained at the Turkish Consul. 

 

Prof. Kural is currently the head of the Mining and Engineering Department of Istanbul Technical University.  He has been lecturing in courses on engineering ethics, environment and society and statistics.

 

He was appointed Honorary Consul of Benin in Istanbul in 2003. Dr. Kural has shared his experiences with his readers by means of 13 Travel Books released over 12 years, some of which were bestsellers in Turkey. He has arranged also 45 photo exhibitions consisting of photos taken during his trips in and outside Turkey.

 

He is also the President of the “Association of No Addiction and No Smoking” and a person responsible for new non-smoking laws in Turkey.

 

Early in 1998, he established the Turkish Travelers’ Club in Istanbul, which is the first travelers club ever in Turkey. The club now has hundreds members among whom are famous authors, photographers, scientists and various other people linked by a common love of travel.

 

Prof. Kural has written Hundreds of Articles regarding his trips. They have been published in many important magazines and newspapers. He has also produced television and radio shows in different channels for the last eleven years.

 

 The book COAL is his most important written work in his primary field. It was prepared over a period of six years with the contribution of 52 authors and 157 scientists (all experts in their fields) from 61 countries.