Meet the 2025 Eaquals Scholarship Recipients

This year, the Eaquals Scholarship Fund attracted a high number of applications from language education professionals across our community. Selecting just five recipients was not an easy task. What stood out was not only the quality of the work, but also the care, curiosity and commitment behind each application.

We’re pleased to introduce the five scholarship recipients who will join us at the Eaquals Conference in Berlin from 12–14 March. Each colleague brings a distinct perspective to language education. Their work reflects their context, their learners and a strong motivation to keep developing. The Scholarship Fund helps make their participation possible, and we’re glad to support them.

At Eaquals, we believe in widening access to professional development. We also value opportunities for colleagues to connect, exchange ideas and learn from one another. The Scholarship Fund helps turn these values into action. Before meeting these colleagues in Berlin, let’s take a closer look at who they are and the work they do.

Zeynep Saçan

Zeynep Saçan is an English language instructor and academic supervisor at the English Language Preparatory Program at Bilkent University, where she has been part of the team since 2007. After several years in the classroom, she took on the role of Head of Teaching Unit in 2013 and has since been closely involved in staff development and institutional evaluation processes. Zeynep holds an MA in Management in Education as well as a Cambridge DELTA, and her professional interests sit at the intersection of leadership, teacher development and technology-enhanced learning. Colleagues know her as someone who values thoughtful, data-informed decision-making and is committed to continuous improvement at both individual and institutional level.

Mehmet Abi

Mehmet Abi is a Lecturer at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University in Turkey, with 24 years of experience in English language teaching across different educational levels. He holds both a Master’s degree and a PhD in English Language Teaching, and his research interests include learner motivation, gamification, assessment and evaluation, and intercultural communication. Throughout his career, Mehmet has been particularly interested in innovative approaches that increase learner engagement and support meaningful cross-cultural understanding. He sees the Eaquals Scholarship as a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues from across Europe and to bring new perspectives and insights back to his university, where sharing knowledge and supporting quality teaching remain central to his work.

Tuğba Yıldırım-Kumbasar

Tuğba Yıldırım-Kumbasar is an English language instructor at Sabancı University in Türkiye. She holds a BA in English Language Teaching and an MA in Turkish Language Education, and her work is shaped by a strong belief in the role of extracurricular learning and creative approaches in language education. Tuğba was first introduced to arts integration as a Fulbright scholar at Brown University, an experience that has continued to influence her teaching and research ever since. She completed her PhD at Boğaziçi University, where she designed an online teacher-training course for higher-education language instructors focused on arts integration and explored its impact on professional and personal development. Her current interests include teacher education, project-based learning and intercultural communication, with a consistent focus on connecting theory to real classroom and online practice.

Serhat Aşık

Serhat Aşık is an English lecturer with 12 years of experience and a strong curiosity for how education, technology and communication connect. Known for his enthusiasm for learning and problem-solving, Serhat is particularly interested in finding creative ways to bridge gaps, between ideas, people and practices. He enjoys taking on challenges and is always keen to experiment with new tools and skills. Outside of his teaching work, he’s an avid reader and lifelong learner who values experiences that broaden his perspective. Being selected for the Eaquals Scholarship is something he approaches with both humility and motivation, seeing it as an opportunity to learn, contribute and bring fresh energy back to his context.

Mirjana Grandov Lacić

Mirjana Grandov Lacić is an experienced educational leader and has been the Academic Manager at Oxford School since 1998. Alongside this role, she is deeply involved in the YALS Association, an Eaquals Associate Member, where she serves as Project Coordinator and is a member of the Annual Conference Organising Board, a key regional event. Mirjana has extensive experience in curriculum design, programme development and project coordination, working with international and local partners including the U.S. Embassy in Serbia, the EU, the British Council, the Goethe-Institut and local NGOs. As an Eaquals Scholarship recipient, she is focused on strengthening partnerships and bringing practical insights on quality assurance and ELT management back to the YALS network and the wider regional community.