Turkey has 957 district governors and only 21 are women. Tuğba Oğuz is one of those 21 women district governors. Her story is a success story. Oğuz, who started her education at Ankara Beytepe Primary School, attended Nottingham University in England and still continues her educational career at Hacettepe University Department of Economics. She is sharing her knowledge with Anatolian people in her place of duty. Having worked on her doctoral dissertation on ‘European Union Common Agriculture Policy’ at Nottingham University in England, Tuğba Oğuz is now working as a successful district governor in Şenpazar district in Kastamonu where agriculture is the most important source of income.

Could you tell us about yourself? How has your career taken shape so far?
I was born in Ankara in 1982. I attended primary school at Beytepe Primary School; and middle and high school at Ankara Anatolian High School. I graduated from the Economics Department (English) of Hacettepe University in 2005. In 2008 I finished the Master’s program I had started at Hacettepe University Economics department in 2005 with my thesis on “the Determinants for the R&D Expenditures in Turkish Manufacturing Industry”. I had received the TÜBİTAK Scientist Training Scholarship during my Master’s studies. I’m still working on my doctoral thesis in the Economics Department at  Hacettepe University.

I started working as a candidate district governor in Kırıkkale in 2007. I first did my District Governor Internship in Çubuk, Ankara, followed by my Inspection Internship in Aksaray and my Acting District Governor Internships in İnebolu, Kastamonu and in Orta, Çankırı. I completed my internship abroad in Nottingham University with my thesis on ‘The Effect of the European Union on the Local Governments of Member Countries: Some Lessons for Turkey’. I was appointed as the district governor of Korgun in Çankırı after completing the District Governor Course with high merits. I have done research for my PhD on ‘the European Union Common Agriculture Policy” with the Jean Monnet Scholarship of the Ministry of the European Union in the 2012-2013 academic year. I currently work as a district governor in Şenpazar in Kastamonu.

In which institution were you working when you got the Jean Monnet scholarship program?
I was working as the Korgun district governor in Çankırı and working on my PhD in the Economics Department at Hacettepe University when I got the Jean Monnet scholarship.

Which university did you attend via Jean Monnet scholarship program? What did you work on as a Jean Monnet scholar?
I have done research on “Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union” in Nottingham University in England. I worked on my doctoral thesis on ‘Common Agricultural Policy and Rural Development of the European Union’.

How has Jean Monnet scholarship program affected your career after you returned to Turkey?
It has affected my career quite positively. Thanks to the Jean Monnet scholarship, I finished the better part of my thesis with my consultant Prof. Wyn Morgan’s guidance who is an expert in his field in England.

How has Jean Monnet scholarship program changed your view of the European Union?
I had done my Master’s in Nottingham University in England in Public Administration in the 2008-2009 academic year. I had the chance to work on my PhD  at the same university thanks to the Jean Monnet scholarship program.  With the help of the Jean Monnet program, I became more integrated in the social and cultural life of England.

What would you like to advise to Jean Monnet scholarship applicants?
Jean Monnet is one of the most prestigious scholarships for researchers who want to get their postgraduate education abroad. I advise them to make the most of their time  they will spend abroad both academically and socially.