Internationalization in higher education is a natural and inevitable consequence of globalization. A university that struggles to adapt to this is doomed to become inward-looking. Universities have various ways to open up to the world. One of the most important elements for achieving this is for the university to provide education in an accepted language (such as English). It can be easily seen that higher education institutions that have achieved this make rapid progress in internationalization.
The International Relations Office and its affiliated Erasmus+ Office make a significant contribution to the internationalization of our university. Our university joined the Erasmus program in 2006 and has continued to increase its Erasmus activities since then. Within the framework of this program, approximately 200 undergraduate and postgraduate students are sent to European Union countries each year for one or two semesters for study and traineeship mobility programs. It has been observed that the vision and perspectives on their professions of students who complete their mobility and return to our university have changed positively.
Also, within the scope of the Erasmus+ program, our academic and administrative staff are sent abroad for short periods for teaching and training activities. Our university staff show considerable interest in this program. Therefore, our office has taken various measures to increase the number of beneficiaries, resulting in a twofold increase in the number of staff sent abroad in recent years.
Within the scope of Erasmus+, our university is visited by both students and academic and administrative staff from European Union countries. Our guests are given the best possible introduction to our university and city, offered all kinds of opportunities (free accommodation, etc.), and thus each of them returns to their countries as an ambassador of our university.
The International Relations Office has become institutionalized through its recent restructuring and has also begun employing foreign personnel. Our university has made a name for itself domestically within the scope of Erasmus+ and has succeeded in sending a representative to the "Working Group" formed by the National Agency from representatives of 20 universities, thus having a say in the decision-making process regarding Erasmus+ across Turkey.
Our office aims to open avenues of cooperation with countries outside the European Union through Erasmus+ projects, and with the momentum it has gained in recent years, it will continue to contribute to the internationalization of our university.