Research on Rural Economic and Social Developement For Mountain Villages in Thrace

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Research on Rural Economic and Social
Developement For Mountain Villages in Thrace

• Istanbul Commerce University
• SEERC

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Overall Objectives

• To increase the scientific cooperation and
  interaction of Turkish and EU universities for
  sustainable rural development issues.
• Specific objectives
• To research the EU experience in rural
  development, to develop a scientific pilot model
  (Thrace) for rural development in the EU
  negotiation process of Turkey.
• To increase the rural development capacity of
  mountain villages in Turkey with a pilot model in
  Thrace.
• To provide an innovative, scientific and
  cooperative approach to the rural development
  process of mountain villages with support of the
  EU member state universities.
• To increase the cooperation between local and and
  regional institutions in Thrace.

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Main Activities

• Establishement of the project team (first 2
  months)
• Kickoff meeting (third month)
• Research of EU Legislation and Implemented
  Projects about Rural Developmenr in EU (4-6th
  months)
• Analyzing the conditions of the Turkish side and
  round table meetings (7-9th months)
• Designing strategies for rural development for
  mountain villages ( 10th month)
• Information seminars (11-12th months)
• International conferance on rural development
  (13-15th months)

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Activity 1 Establishement of the Project Team
(first 2 months)

• Administrative staff Preparation of the reports,
  organisation of the meetings schedule, contacts
  with CFCU, maintain the sustainability of the
  project.
• -A team of two the coordinator and the
  assistant coordinator (15 months)
• Academicians Make researches, collecting
  datasdocuments, cooperation with the partner
  universities scientists for multidisciplinary
  research.
• 2 economists, 1 sociologist (13 months)
• 1 EU specialist (6 months)
• 1 veterinarian, 1 agricultural engineer (3
  months)
• Partner institution SEERC staff from Greece
• 1 project coordinator (15 months)
• 1 economist, 1 research assistant, 1 rural
  development expert (12 months

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Activity 2 Kickoff meeting (third month)

• Will be held on the third month of the project
• Participation of at least 10 academicians
• Specialists from Greece and Spain will share
  their experiences and knowledge about the rural
  development.
• The agenda of the program
• Project action plan revision
• Success stories from european countries
• EU rural development policy principles
• Methodology to use in planning sustainable
  development and rural regeneration of the pilot
  area
• Data collection strategies.
• The transportation and accomodation of the 5
  specialists from abroad will be paid from the
  project budget 1000Euro for their presantations.

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Activity 3 Research activities

• The research activity will be in 2 chapters.
• First the research on the EU Legislation of
  Acquis Communautaire on rural development and
  preparation of comparative reports between EU
  Rural Devlopment Policy and Turkeys.
• Second To find the successful projects
  implemented in different countries and the keys
  to their success.
• After the researches the suitable methods for
  Thrace will be determined.

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Analysing conditions and Round table meetings
(7,8,9th months)

• Analysing the economic and social conditions of
  the mountain villages in Thrace, data collection.
• 2 round table meetings during the researches with
  the participation of mayors, governors, business
  society and village administration for the
  support of local authorities.
• The project team will gain expertise and transfer
  this knowledge to the region

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Activity 5 Designing Rural Development
Strategies for Mountain Villages (10th month)

• After the round table meetings and the data
  collecting process,strategies will be developped
  in order to improve the situation of the area.
• The project team will prepare a rural development
  plan for the mountain villages and prepare
  presentations about the implementations of the
  project based on strategic plan to be used in the
  information seminars

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Activity 6 Information Seminars and Training
Programs

• The aim of these information seminars is to share
  the results of the studies with local
  stakeholders and to increase the local capacity
  about project management.
• First group 89 villages administrators, mayors
  and central government representatives in the
  region will be invited.
• 2nd group The business society in the region
  about the new investment opportunities in the
  mountain villages.
• Training program ICU and the partner will
  organise a training programabout project
  management and funding opportunities for the
  local stakeholders and the sustainability of the
  project.

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Activity 7 International conferance on Rural
Development (13,14,15th month)

• The aim of the program is to widen the network
  between academicians stydying rural development
  and to put rural development to the agenda of EU
  and Turkey in a national and international level.
• Specialists and academicians will participate to
  the conferance which will be held in Istanbul for
  two days.
• The detailed schedule of the conferance will be
  planned by the project team.