Nesin Mathematics Village ( tr, Nesin Matematik Köyü) is an educational and research institute devoted to
mathematics
Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...
, which is located from
Şirince
Şirince (), known as Kirkintzes ( el, Κιρκιντζές) in Greek, is a village of 600 inhabitants in İzmir Province, Turkey, located about east of the town Selçuk and about 8 kilometres from Ephesus. The area around the village has histo ...
village in
Selçuk district
Selçuk is a town in İzmir Province in the Aegean Region of Turkey. It is located northeast of the ancient city of Ephesus, that was once home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
Its previous Greek name, Ag ...
of
Izmir Province in western Turkey.
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). 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 honoria for the teachers, it provides free accommodations and meals".
Courses range from high-school to graduate university courses. All high school courses are taught in
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
, as the students do not necessarily know foreign languages, but any undergraduate or postgraduate course may be taught in English.
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.
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."
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". 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".
See also
*
Sevan Nişanyan
References
External links
Nesin Mathematics Village websiteArticle on the maths villageA trip diary to the maths villageSevan Nisanyan on the maths villageAli Nesin's Homepage
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Mathematical institutes
Schools in Turkey
2007 establishments in Turkey
Selçuk District