In a Turkish school established a compulsory course of "Slowness"

“SLOWNESS” - FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE WORLD HAS BEEN A COMPULSORY COURSE IN A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION 

Ataşehir Adıgüzel Vocational School, has added the “Slowness” Course to the 2019-2020 Academic Year Curriculum. Members of Cittaslow Scientific Committee in Turkey will instruct the course which will be given for the first time in Turkey and in the World.

Ataşehir Adıgüzel Vocational School, that previously added Human Rights, Animal Rights, and 21st Century Skills to its curricula as compulsory courses for all the programs, continues to raise awareness among the students. As of 2019-2020 Academic Year, Ataşehir Adıgüzel Vocational School has added “Slowness” as a compulsory course of 2 hours a week to the  3rd Semester curricula of in all the programs. In 15 programs, approximately 900 students will be taking this course this semester. Members of Cittaslow Scientific Committee in Turkey wrote a Course Book for he Slowness Course consisting of ten chapters: Slow Philosophy, Slow Life, Slow Science, Slow Food, Cittaslow, Cittaslow Tourism, Slow Economy, Slow Travel, Slow Agriculture, and Slow Tourism.

Director of Ataşehir Adıgüzel Vocational School Prof. Dr. H. Rıdvan YURTSEVEN, who is also a Member of Cittaslow Scientific Committee in Turkey and Cittaslow International, in his statement on the  subject  pointed out: “The letter of Harvard Undergraduate School Dean, Harry Lewis, has really inspired us to add “Slowness” Course to our curriculum. Our students need help. The “Slowness” Course aims to lead the students to stop and think about the most important thing for themselves, instead of making a lot of different things in a short time. As people make time for themselves, when time flows slowly for them, or even when they devote their time for relaxing and enjoy it, then they get pleasure in what they do. They make use of the time well.”

The students, successfully completing the Slowness Course given by the Members of Cittaslow Scientific Committee in Turkey, will receive the “Certificate of Achievement” of Cittaslow Turkey and of Ataşehir Adıgüzel Vocational School. Furthermore, The directorate of the vocational school intends to enable students to do their internship at 264 Cittaslow cities in 30 countries around the World. Ataşehir Adıgüzel Vocational School plans to take action regarding this subject in 2020-2021 Academic Year.