Help me to pay the UCLA tuition fee

My name is Nasibe Nur Dündar. This fundraiser was established to cover the tuition fee for the UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Master of Science in Architecture and Urban Design that I have dreamed of and worked hard for years.

In February 2022 I received an acceptance letter to UCLA M.S. in Architecture and Urban Design. The tuition fee is $ 50,000 in total. I was awarded a $10000 tuition scholarship from UCLA among the best portfolios applying. But I have to find a scholarship as I cannot pay the remaining $40,000.

I have tried numerous attempts to pay my tuition fees. I have attempted to request a student loan, but this is not permissible for internationals. The Turkish Lira has lost 75% value against the dollar in 2021. In this economic crisis, where the number of scholarships provided decreased and even big companies were in a difficult situation, I could not get a return even though I applied for scholarships all over Turkey.

For transparency, currently, my parents’ income as retired teachers in Turkey makes 700 dollars in total and I know we are living paycheck to paycheck. I work as an architect to cover some of the living expenses that I will need during my architectural education, but even if I save all the money I earn until I start school, I cannot save enough money to meet the basic expenses such as rent, food in the Master period. I hope to complete all these expenses with the savings and part-time jobs that I can do while studying. However, I need to find sponsors for the tuition fee. I am creating the campaign as $43100, that is leaving me $40000 excluding transaction fees and site fees.

To participate in the program that will start in August, I have to register for the program latest in may, I have to show my tuition fee and living expenses in my bank account before applying for the visa otherwise it won't be approved. The amount is quite a large sum, I would be very happy if you can share it with your broader networks. Any amount will be highly appreciated and I'll do the same to those less fortunate in the future.

Thank you,

Nasibe

WHY DO I WANT TO STUDY AT UCLA?

During my undergraduate education, I took part in many projects in the theoretical fields of architecture. I supported my research in school projects further with competitions, workshops and entrepreneurship projects. However, unfortunately, I was away from the technological infrastructure and the sector working on this subject, where I could experience the practical applications of these theoretical ideas. During my master's education, I hope to find practical opportunities in the subjects that I have been researching and thinking about for a long time.

Pioneering studies on incorporating technological tools developed in fields such as artificial intelligence and machine learning into architectural production today are essential in speculations about new theory-practices that can be established. It is a fact that human beings, the dominant subject of urbanization and architecture, are losing dominance with future paradigms, and the positions of humans and technological tools are redefining. At UCLA, On top of all these considerations, I want to explore how the unity of architecture with technology can impact its user, environment, nature, and community and how buildings in congested cities can be more in sync with other beings.

UCLA provides a very high quality, practice-oriented education with strong research and innovation foundations. It has teachers who are pioneers in the field of architecture and design. MS. in AUD program differs from other schools with its technological infrastructure and application-based education model compared to the master programs of any other school, including ITU, from which I graduated. I plan to democratize our cultural environment, create a broader impact, and find solutions for our built environment after developing my skills further at UCLA, the school that Pioneers the developments in the sector and technology, blending research and praxis.

I am looking forward to being in the ecosystem in Los Angeles, a significant force of tech influence.

REASONS TO SPONSOR MY EDUCATION

Concepts related to creating impact with architecture stood out to me the most. The architecture would affect the site, community, economy, environment and create a ripple effect. The challenge of the profession of architecture is how the built environment can influence some of the biggest challenges of our era. Architects should design not only for humans but by accepting the world we share with other beings and nature as the significant subjects of design. With these acceptances, we can design more respectful and democratic futures.

The projects I participated individually and as a team enabled me to encounter design problems in different subjects and scales such as architectural building design, urban and landscape designs, architectural computer games, and mobile application design for municipalities. Despite the differences in scale and design problems, the proposals in the projects I participated in were mutually respectful to the user, environment, and nature.

You could see a selection of the projects that I have participated in: https://issuu.com/nasibenur.dundar/docs/selected_w...

I am confident that UCLA could shape me as an architect who contributes to democratizing our cultural environment, creating a broader impact, and finding solutions for our built environment with unique perspectives and technological skills.

EDUCATION

I graduated from Istanbul Technical University, architecture department in July. During this period, I completed the minor program in the department of city and regional planning. I am continuing my itinerant training program on Architectural Design and Museology in Archaeological Sites at Accademia Adrianea, which I started in 2020. I completed the Architecture for Exhibition course from YAC Academy, a prestigious architecture program in Bologna, Italy, which will allow me to specialize in the field of museumization and exhibition, with a 100% educational scholarship. During my bachelor’s degree, I spent the 2017-2018 at the University of Kent, England by Erasmus Exchange Program. Also during my education, I participated in many international workshops on different topics.

I am an architect who loves her profession and works hard. Throughout my school life, I have taken part in architectural competitions. I started with student competitions and continued being a part of professional competitions and received 9 awards. Four of the student competitions and five of the professional competitions I participated in were awarded. I took an active part in these projects' design and visualization processes from the beginning to the end.

COMPETITION AWARDS

-3rd Prize_Best Graduation Projects in Istanbul Technical University, Issued by ITU, July 2021

-1st Prize_Commemorating Epidemics and Health Workers Competition, Issued by İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, July 2021

-1st Prize_Commemorating Mimar Sinan in Üsküdar, Issued by İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality, June 2021

-Honorable Mention_'VAHA'; Karapınar GES SCADA Building Architectural Project Competition, Issued by Kalyon Holding, Jan 2021

-Regional Winner in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, ‘Daylight in Buildings’ category_International Velux Award 2020, Issued by Velux, August 2020

-1st Prize_Uşak Belediyesi, Yayalaştırılan Sokaklar Mimarlık Kentsel Tasarım Fikir Proje Yarışması_ Issued by Uşak Municipality, June 2020

-1st Honorable Mention_Torbalı Municipality Municipal Service Building Marketplace and Parking Lot and Its Neighborhood National Architectural Project Competition, June 2020

-Fiaba Prize_Piranesi Prix de Rome, Issued by Accademia Adrianea di Architettura e Archeologia Onlus, September 2019

-2nd Prize_“What does Izmir Power Station want to be?” Architectural Student Competition, Issued by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, May 2019

For Further Information

[email protected]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nasibe-nur-dündar-b530...

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