An International Congress on the Education of the Gifted was held as part of the Erasmus+ Project titled “Twice Exceptional Students: Let’s Recognize Gifted Students with Learning Disabilities!”, coordinated by Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU).
The congress took place at the OMU Distance Education Center (UZEM) Conference Hall and was organized in cooperation with the General Directorate of Special Education and Guidance Services, İlkadım District Directorate of National Education, and international partners from Poland, Czechia, Italy, and Bulgaria.
The event opened with remarks by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Şener Şentürk, the Project Coordinator and Chair of the Congress Organizing Committee.
The program was attended by:
• OMU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Çetin Kurnaz
• Ceyhun Sarı, Head of the Department for the Development of Gifted Individuals at the General Directorate of Special Education and Guidance Services (Turkish MoNE)
• Dr. Murat Ağar, Samsun Provincial Director of National Education
• Özer Ersoy, İlkadım District Director of National Education
• Prof. Dr. Hamza Çalışıcı, Dean of OMU Faculty of Education
• Academics and teachers from various institutions
The congress stood out for featuring many firsts in both Turkey and the international arena in terms of its theme. Contributions came from academics, teachers, and students across various provinces of Turkey, who presented papers related to gifted education.
Following the opening speeches, the Samsun Science and Art Center (Bilsem) Children and Youth Choir delivered a universal music performance under the direction of Music Teacher Ufuk Gökcan.
Throughout the congress, various sessions were held including:
• Academic paper presentations on twice exceptional students
• Panel discussions
• Workshops
• Conferences focusing on neurodiversity
These sessions provided an in-depth look at the educational needs and support strategies for gifted students with learning disabilities—a group often under-identified in traditional education systems.
LISTEN