Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer, Head of the Child Development Department at Üsküdar University's Faculty of Health Sciences, has become a member of the Early Learning Technical Advisory Group at the Brookings Institution's Universal Education Center.
Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer stated, “Throughout my professional life, I have conducted studies in the field of child development at national and global levels, and receiving such an invitation for technical consultancy is gratifying.”
Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer, Head of the Child Development Department at Üsküdar University's Faculty of Health Sciences, has taken on a significant role in an early childhood education study launched by the Brookings Institution's Universal Education Center.
Established in 1916 and one of the founders of the independent policy research center tradition in the USA, the Brookings Institution conducts independent research, analysis, and public education on economics, foreign policy, governance, and urban policies. The Brookings Institution invited Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer to join the Early Learning Technical Advisory Group.
Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer evaluated the invitation and the process, stating that “2030 Sustainable Development Goal 4.2” aims to ensure full access to Quality Preschool Education for all children to reach their highest developmental potential and be ready for primary school. She added, “In line with this goal, international organizations (such as UNESCO, Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN), World Bank, World Health Organization, and UNICEF) are preparing programs and policy recommendations, such as the Nurturing Care Framework, through reports that address the situation from various angles and collectively implement efforts. These studies have addressed Early Learning and Preschool Education as a crucial component of a child's holistic development, aiming to expand quality early childhood education services, especially in middle and less developed countries, within the framework of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 4.2 agenda.”
However, Prof. Dr. Nurper Ülküer noted that as of 2024, many countries still appear far from achieving this goal, and continued as follows:
“On the other hand, there is not yet an integrated database and resource that will define preschool education related to Quality Early Childhood Education (ECE) for every child, as targeted by Sustainable Development Goal 4.2. This resource would answer questions such as who benefits and how, provide qualitative/quantitative statistics, quality standards, monitoring methods, and cost-benefit analyses of ECE. To prepare a comprehensive resource that defines ECE globally in all its aspects, the Brookings Institution's Universal Education Center is launching a mapping project in collaboration with Their World, an international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). The project aims to create a comprehensive and accessible resource that will serve as the foundation for developing strategies and policy recommendations to support children's development and early learning worldwide. As someone who has worked in various capacities in the field of child development at national and global levels throughout my professional life, receiving such an invitation for technical consultancy from the Brookings Institution is gratifying.”
Prof. Dr. Ülküer stated that it is now known that access to quality early childhood education (ECE) for all children and families is a fundamental condition and priority of Sustainable Development. She added, “Therefore, the world has been in the process of developing significant investment policies regarding ECE over the past 20 years. In this context, the Brookings Institution is taking on a 'think-tank' role and initiating a study aimed at creating a global database and resource for ECE. Being part of the technical advisory group for this study, closely following this process, and contributing to it is important. It is also a great opportunity for me to share my knowledge and experience gained in the field.”
Prof. Dr. Ülküer also touched upon the benefits of the membership in the context of our country and university, stating the following:
“However, we still need more detailed research on the standards defining quality and whether access to quality ECE is equitable and reaches all children. Thanks to this project, I believe I will have opportunities to share good practices with practitioners, academics, and researchers in our country. Our university, especially the Child Development Department of the Faculty of Health Sciences, will contribute to this process, and of course, we will also have much to learn from the process. We can call it a good experience-gaining process.
Furthermore, our university is quite ambitious and successful in its work related to the Sustainable Development Goals. According to the 2024 results of Times Higher Education’s (THE) Impact Ranking, it was deemed worthy of receiving all 17 labels applied for. It is probable that this study, which we will conduct in the context of Sustainable Development Goal 4.2, will make a positive contribution to our university's scoring in this area.”
