New York, NY (November 12, 2015) – Turkish Philanthropy Funds is honored to announce the Sena Eken Schieber Economics Award established by her husband, George Schieber. Sena Eken Schieber was a pioneering international civil servant and a role model for many women. The Award will be given to female graduate students from Turkey in the field of Economics in the United States.
The Sena Eken Schieber Economics Award was founded on the belief that any motivated woman in need should have the opportunity to further her education. By removing the financial burdens associated with attending graduate programs, the Award plays a vital role in increasing access to Graduate programs in Economics in the United States for many motivated, yet underserved, young women from Turkey. Several awards are made annually, up to $25,000 each, to cover tuition and/or living expenses. Application deadline is March 14, 2016. For more information on application and eligibility, visit here.
“Today is an exceptional day for me. I am delighted that I found a channel to continue the legacy of my late wife, Sena. She would have been very pleased to see that deserving women from Turkey are being provided the opportunity to undertake graduate economic studies in the United States and fully exploit their abilities. Given the conservative forces engulfing the Middle East and Europe, providing opportunities for young Turkish women to reach their full potential represents the best aspirations of Ataturk’s legacy and social justice. Fostering the development of Turkey’s needed future human capital provides the foundation for its continued democratic, social, and economic evolution, and for Turkey to serve as a model for other emerging market countries,” said George Schieber, a former World Bank Economist and founder of the Scholarship Fund at Turkish Philanthropy Funds sponsoring the award.
“George Schieber’s philanthropy is a generosity we should all aspire to reach. His late wife, Sena Eken Schieber’s legacy will now live with the empowerment of talented women from Turkey. This scholarship is an all-time first in the United States for female Turkish economists,” said Ilhan Akbil, President and CEO at Turkish Philanthropy Funds.
About Sena Eken Schieber
Sena Eken Schieber was born in Istanbul in 1949. After graduating from Robert College in Turkey, she did her graduate studies in England and received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pittsburgh. She married George Schieber in 1976. Sena had a long and distinguished career in the International Monetary Fund (IMF), during which she took a leave of absence to be an Advisor to the Governor of the Central Bank of Turkey in 1987. She has worked on IMF programs in numerous countries, many in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, and at the time of her retirement was the highest-ranking Turkish national in the IMF. She is the author of numerous publications including the recently published DEIK study entitled “Turkey 2000-2010: A Decade of Transition.” She has been described by her colleagues and friends as loving, caring, vibrant, sensitive, elegant, smart, conscientious, warm, and courageous; a role model for others; a pioneer for women in the IMF; and, a credit to her country. In addition to being an accomplished international and national civil servant, Sena was a talented photographer and actively pursued her interests in fitness, travel, art, fashion, Turkish politics, maintaining her Robert college connections, and socializing with friends.