Nesin Mathematics Village

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Nesin Mathematics Village ({{langx|tr|Nesin Matematik Köyü}}) is an educational and research institute devoted to mathematics in İzmir Province in western Turkey. It is located {{cvt|800|m}} from Şirince village in Selçuk district.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/haber-detay.aspx?pageID=238&nid=70193|title=A brief introduction to Turkey's 'Mathematics Village|website=Hürriyet Daily News|date=9 August 2014 |access-date=2017-03-26}}

History and activities

It was launched in 2007 by Ali Nesin, a veteran mathematics professor, who heads up education non-profit Nesin Foundation established by his father, humorist writer Aziz Nesin (1915–1995).{{Cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/welcome-to-the-turkish-village-dedicated-to-maths/|title=Welcome to the Turkish 'Village' Dedicated to Maths|website=Motherboard|date=25 February 2016|access-date=2017-03-26}} Mathematics Village is funded by donations made to the Nesin Foundation.

Nesin Mathematics Village hosts various mathematical activities, mostly short summer courses. Teaching in the mathematics village "is voluntary; while the mathematics village does not provide honoraria for the teachers, it provides free accommodations and meals".{{Cite journal|last=Krishnaswami Alladi and Gabriela Asli Rino Nesin|year=2015|title=The Nesin Mathematics Village in Turkey|url=https://www.ams.org/notices/201506/rnoti-p652.pdf|journal=Notices of the AMS|volume=62-6|pages=652–658}} Courses range from high-school to graduate university courses. All high school courses are taught in Turkish, as the students do not necessarily know foreign languages, but any undergraduate or postgraduate course may be taught in English. Since 2014, Nesin Mathematics Village has been hosting an art school, Nesin Art Village, founded by Işın Önol.{{Cite news |date=Dec 13, 2016 |title=The Nesin Mathematics Village: a Dream to Think, Learn and Enjoy Math |url=https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/nesin-mathematics-village-learn-enjoy-math |access-date=August 24, 2024 |work=Interesting Engineering}}{{Cite news |last=Kiger |first=Rumeysa |date=August 30, 2015 |title=Art follows in the footsteps of math in Şirince village |url=http://www.todayszaman.com/arts-culture_art-follows-in-the-footsteps-of-math-in-sirince-village_397834.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118081949/http://www.todayszaman.com/arts-culture_art-follows-in-the-footsteps-of-math-in-sirince-village_397834.html |archive-date=January 18, 2016 |access-date=August 24, 2024 |work=Today's Zaman}}{{Cite news |last=Kocal |first=Ece |date=October 16, 2015 |title=Matematik Köyü'nün Artık Bir Kardeşi Var: Sanat Köyü |trans-title=Mathematics Village Now Has a Sibling: The Art Village |url=https://www.artfulliving.com.tr/sanat/matematik-koyunun-artik-bir-kardesi-var-sanat-koyu-i-3555 |access-date=August 28, 2024 |work=Artful Living |language=tr}}

Students usually stay in the village for a cycle of two weeks. Each Thursday, a vacation activity is organized. There are no TVs or broadcast music, although there are occasionally film screenings.

Around fifteen paid staff and nearly one hundred volunteers work there every year. The village has also been hosting domestic and international mathematics meetings recently.{{Cite web|url=http://matematikkoyu.org/eng/events.php|title=Events {{!}} Nesin Mathematics Village|last=nesinvakfi.org|first=Nesin Vakfı|website=matematikkoyu.org|language=tr|access-date=2017-03-26}}

Ali Nesin was bestowed the 2018 Leelavati Award for "his outstanding contributions towards increasing public awareness of mathematics in Turkey, in particular for his tireless work in creating the 'Mathematical Village' as an exceptional, peaceful place for education, research, and the exploration of mathematics for anyone."{{Cite web|url=https://www.mathunion.org/imu-awards/leelavati-prize/leelavati-prize-2018|title=Leelavati Prize 2018 {{!}} International Mathematical Union (IMU)|website=mathunion.org|access-date=2018-08-04}}

Demolition scare

According to a statement in July 2017 by Tekin Karadağ, the president of the Şirince Environment and Nature Association, Nesin Mathematics Village was slated for demolition by the authorities as being an "illegal construction".{{cite news|title=Şirince'de yıkım başlıyor|trans-title=Demolition begins in Şirince|author=Banu Şen|url=http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/sirincede-yikim-basliyor-40536452|newspaper=Hürriyet|date=31 July 2017|access-date=31 July 2017}} However, Harun Abuş, Director of Development and City Planning of Selçuk Municipality, declared that at this moment Nesin Mathematics Village is "not on the demolition calendar".{{cite news|title="Şirince'deki Matematik Köyü ve Nişanyan Evleri, yıkım takviminde yok"|trans-title="Mathematics Village and Nişanyan Houses in Şirince not on the demolition calendar"|url=http://t24.com.tr/haber/sirincedeki-matematik-koyu-ve-nisanyan-evleri-yikim-takvimde-yok,417504|newspaper=T24|date=1 August 2017|access-date=4 August 2017}}

See also

References

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