The quest for Turkish scholarships: African students, transformation and hopefulness

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to move beyond the limited research emphasis on traditional South-North scholarship accessibility. We discuss and analyze how through South-South connections and scholarship opportunities African students rationalize accessibility to scholarships in Turkey. Building on qualitative data collected through interviews, focus groups and discussions with African students in Istanbul, Turkey, this paper finds that the activities as well as the meaning making of African students towards existing Turkish educational and scholarship opportunities, remain essential in understanding the dynamics of African students and accessibility to Turkish scholarships. In their quest for scarce scholarship opportunities, students employ the internet for exchanging information with fellow students; compare opportunities within and beyond Africa while, simultaneously, interacting with formal and informal networks that facilitate scholarship opportunities. Accessibility to Turkish scholarships therefore depends not only on Turkish state funds and its availability, but also on what the students and their networks and community relations are doing separately or together.