September 2015 Issue 9 Welcome from the Akdeniz University International Relations Office 1
Dear Colleagues, Welcome to the ninth issue of the Akdeniz University International Relations Office (IRO) Newsletter. Since September 2013, the IRO newsletter has been prepared in order to disseminate news concerning the International Relations Office. It has been published every 3 months on our website and sent to our international partners to bring them up to date with announcements, and news about events, projects, exchanges, training courses and visits. The newsletter is aimed at students, alumni, colleagues and partner universities around the world. The eighth issue of the IRO newsletter was published in June 2015, and as the 2014/15 academic year reached a conclusion, the International Relations Office continued to work on our scheduled tasks during the summer period. Of particular interest was a visit by representatives from the British Council in Turkey, who came to our office in order to discuss areas of potential cooperation. Special emphasis has been placed on the role of international students in the internationalization process since the re-establishment of the International Relations Office, and as a result we will be registering 700 new international and exchange students for the 2015/16 academic year. Within the scope of the Erasmus+ and Mevlana Exchange Programmes, Akdeniz University continues to host a wide range of academic and administrative staff members from partner institutions around the world. In order to extend our already large international network, members of the International Relations Office represented Akdeniz University at the EAIE Education Fair held in Glasgow, Scotland, allowing us to raise even further the standard of cooperation we enjoy with our international partners. Within the scope of the Mevlana Exchange Programme, members of the academic staff of Akdeniz University visited Ahmet Yesevi University in Kazakhstan and Osh State University in Kyrgyzstan, lead to improvements in our inter-institutional relations. Several new EU project applications put forward by Akdeniz University have now been accepted, and you will be able to read about the details below. As the Head of the International Relations Office, I would like to mention that these activities could not have been managed without a hard-working team behind them. I would like to sincerely thank all the members of the International Relations Office staff one by one for their best efforts in managing all these activities successfully, as well as expressing my gratitude to the international relations coordinators in the academic units who have given vital support to the internationalization process at Akdeniz University. On behalf of all the members of the IRO team, I would like to offer you our most sincere regards. Prof. Dr. Burhan Özkan Advisor to the Rector Head of the International Relations Office Akdeniz University 2
Publication of the Higher Education Quality Assurance Regulation The Higher Education Quality Assurance Regulation was published on July 23 rd 2015 by the Higher Education Council of Turkey. This regulation establishes the rules for the following items; education and research activities, internal and external quality assurance for administrative services in Institutions of higher education, the authorization process for independent external evaluation agencies, and the basis of powers and responsibilities as defined in the regulation. Akdeniz University has already started work on the changes needed to harmonize the activities of the university with the provisions of this regulation. Akdeniz University at the EAIE Education Fair Akdeniz University was represented by the International Relations Office at the 27 th European Association for International Education (EAIE) Education Fair, organized in Glasgow, Scotland, between September 15 th and 18 th 2015. During our participation in the EAIE fair, our office focused on looking at ways to further develop our commitment to making improvements and innovations in the field of higher education, raising the standard of cooperation with our international partners, and broadening the scope of our relationship with them. During the fair and the conference, new Erasmus+ agreements were signed. In addition to our discussions with universities in EU countries, we also had an opportunity to discuss areas of potential cooperation with universities in Japan, China, Brazil, Argentina, India, Russia and Indonesia. 3
Registration Process Completed for New International Students The registration of 550 new international students from 38 different countries, who will study at Akdeniz University during the 2015/16 academic year, has now been completed. 70 percent of the students who were eligible to register on associate degree and undergraduate degree programmes this year obtained their places with grades from the Akdeniz University International Students Examination (AKUS), which provides them with an advantage over other applicants. The 10 programmes highest on the list of student preferences are International Relations, Dentistry, Management, Tourism Management, Architecture, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Law, and Economics. These new registrations bring the number of international students hosted by our university to approximately 2,000. Visit from the British Council in Turkey British Council representatives Neslihan Boncuk, the Education Manager of the British Council in Turkey, Julian Parry, the Director of English Language, and Hande Diker, the Education Coordinator visited the Akdeniz University International Relations Office on June 18 th 2015. Prof. Dr. Burhan Özkan, Advisor to the Rector and Head of International Relations Office, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kınsız, Director of the School of Foreign Languages, and Ayça Altay and Emel Kahraman from the International Relations Office attended the meeting to discuss areas of potential cooperation. The subjects discussed included collaboration in English teaching, and the availability of scholarship opportunities in graduate studies. Professor Özkan stated that the staff of Akdeniz University would be very happy to collaborate with the British Council, and confirmed that announcements giving details of relevant scholarships would be published on the website of the International Relations Office for the benefit of the students of our university. New Cooperation Protocols Akdeniz University has recently signed scientific and educational cooperation protocols with the following universities; International Balkan University (Macedonia), International University of Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Kyungnam University (Korea), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (Portugal), Baku Eurasian University (Azerbaijan), Azerbaijan University, and Astana Medical University (Kazakhstan). The protocols cover mobility for students and academics, as well as joint scientific activities. The list of the universities with which we have cooperation protocols can be found on the website of the International Relations Office at the following location; http://uio.akdeniz.edu.tr/current-cooperation-agreements. 4
The First Congress of Research on Bologna Process The First Congress of Research on Bologna Process was held on September 17 th and 18 th 2015 at Hacettepe University in Turkey. The purpose of Congress was to evaluate the implementation of the Bologna Process in Turkey, and to share information and experiences of operating the Bologna Process as part of the Turkish higher education system. Prof. Dr. Burhan Özkan, Advisor to the Rector and Head of the International Relations Office and Bologna Coordinator Emel Kahraman contributed a paper with the title; The Bologna Process in Higher Education: How the Bologna Process Works at Akdeniz Univesity. The Erasmus+ Student Mobility Orientation Programme for Incoming Students Akdeniz University will host 105 incoming Erasmus+ students from 46 universities in 17 countries during the winter semester of the 2015/16 academic year. In order to help them prepare for their period of study and the procedures they will have to follow, an orientation programme was organized. The programme was held on September 8 th 2015. The programme was followed by a dinner and an International Welcome Party on the same evening. The orientation programme included a wide range of topics including; introduction to the International Relations Office and Akdeniz University by the Head of the International Relations Office, getting know each other, essential information about legal procedures, the social side of Erasmus+ Programme, and the ESN at Akdeniz University. The Akdeniz University 2015/16 Winter Semester International Staff Week The Akdeniz University 2015/16 Winter Semester International Staff Week, hosted by the International Relations Office, will be organized under the terms of the Erasmus+ Individual Learning Mobility Programme from October 26 th to 29 th 2015. The programme will provide an opportunity for the participants to share experiences and discuss new applications with Erasmus administrators from many of our partner universities. The timetable of events can be found below, and the programme is open for applications until October 20 th 2015. For details, please visit the web page at; http://uio.akdeniz.edu.tr/en. 5
Akdeniz University Delegation Visits Ahmet Yesevi University A delegation from Akdeniz University visited Ahmet Yesevi University in Turkistan/Kazakhstan between August 3 rd and 7 th 2015. The delegation was made up of Prof. Dr. Burhan Özkan, Head of the International Relations Office and member of the academic staff of the Department of Agricultural Economics, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts Prof. Sadettin Sarı, and Vice-dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ömer Zaimoğlu. The programme of the visit, which was conducted under the terms of the Mevlana Exchange Programme, consisted of a series lectures and seminars. The visit also provided an opportunity to sign an Erasmus+ Agreement, and for discussion of the possibilities of establishing new cooperative ventures between the two universities. As a result of the Mevlana Exchange Programme Protocol that was signed during the 2013/14 academic year, 40 academic staff mobility and student exchanges involving 30 different departments in Akdeniz University and Ahmet Yesevi University have taken place over the subsequent two years. Akdeniz University Representatives Visit Osh State University Three members of the academic staff of the Akdeniz University Faculty of Nursing, Prof. Dr. Sebahat Gözüm, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatma Cebeci, and Assist. Prof. Dr. Ayla Tuzcu, visited Osh State University in Kyrgyzstan between August 1 st and 8 th 2015. The programme was arranged under the terms of the Mevlana Exchange Programme, and included visits to the Osh State University Faculty of Medicine, the College of Medicine, and various Healthcare Organisations, during which a series of lectures and seminars were given. Akdeniz University Welcomes Incoming Mevlana Academic Staff Members Instructor Joyce Sabreena Niles from Kelaniya University in Sri Lanka visited the Akdeniz University School of Foreign Languages between August 21 st and 31 st 2015. She stated that the Mevlana Exchange Programme was a very good opportunity to increase knowledge and cooperation between universities from every part of the world, and that the International Relations Office of Akdeniz University was doing excellent work in increasing the number of collaborative ventures of this kind. 6
First Students from Pakistan arrive at Akdeniz University The inclusion of countries from every part of the world in the Mevlana Exchange Programme is now well established and, as we begin the third year of the Mevlana programme during the 2015/16 academic year, Akdeniz University is very pleased to welcome the first students from Pakistan to study here. The students are from Hajvery University, and they will study in the Department of Fashion and Design in the Faculty of Fine Arts of Akdeniz University. International Guests Jolanta Klimowicz, a member of the administrative staff of Krakow University of Technology in Poland, visited our office under the terms of the Erasmus+ Staff Mobility for Training Programme. As part of her visit she took part in training activities from July 20 th to 24 th 2015. Ana Ioana Matea and Anca Ioana Rachita, members of the academic staff of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Tîrgu Mure in Romania, came to our office as part of a visit to Akdeniz University under the terms of the Erasmus+ Staff Mobility for Teaching Programme. Their visit was from July 10 th to 17 th 2015, during which they gave a series of lectures in the Faculty of Medicine. Applications for the Erasmus+ Buddy Programme Our office is responsible for organizing the Buddy Programme, which every year brings together our regular students and incoming Erasmus students. The Buddy Programme is a simple and effective way of encouraging students to work together to achieve a better result through cooperation and mutual support. The main reward for the Buddy is the contact they have with Erasmus students. Being a Buddy is often the best way to feel the "Erasmus spirit" while still at home, so it comes as no surprise that most Buddies have either been Erasmus students already, or intend to become Erasmus students in the near future. Akdeniz University students who would like to give their voluntary support to our incoming Erasmus+ students during the 2015/16 academic year have already made their applications to be a Buddy and they are waiting to meet their guests! 7
Hand-made Gift from an Erasmus Student Vasile Nitelea, Erasmus+ student in the Faculty of Fine Arts of Akdeniz University, presented a hand-made oil painting as a gift in recognition of the hospitality he has enjoyed at Akdeniz University, and the support which Erasmus incoming students receive from the International Relations Office. The EU Youth Project First Things First The International Relations Office of Akdeniz University was represented at the EU youth project First Things First, which was organised from July 24 th to August 4 th 2015 in Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania. Five countries, (Macedonia, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain and Turkey), were represented by 35 young people and 5 experts who took part in the project. They were provided with information about how ecologic systems give added value to the life of the community, and how these systems can be improved to address current problems. The EU Youth Project "See Me" The EU youth project See Me, supported by the Polish National Agency and in which our office was a partner, was organised from September 1 st to 9 th 2015 in Poland. Five students and one group leader from our university participated in the project, with all their expenses being covered by the project budget. 8
EU Youth Project "Act to Be Part of Europe" has been approved Approval has been received from the Turkish National Agency for our European Voluntary Service Project Act to Be Part of Europe, which is organised within the framework of the Erasmus+ Individual Learning Programme. The project will allow our office to send 30 young volunteers to Europe to take part in youth work projects, with all their expenses covered by the project budget. The EDUCATHE+ KA2 Strategic Partnership Project in the field of Adult Education EDUCAtional THEatre; a place promoting inclusion and employability for People with Disabilities - EDUCATHE+. This is a KA2 Adult Education Strategic Partnership Project in which the Akdeniz University EuroMed Youth Centre is a partner, and which enjoys the support of the International Relations Office. It is funded by the Croatian National Agency. EDUCATHE+ is a partnership of eight partners from six EU member states, and one partner country. Together they will strive to improve the employment prospects of people with disabilities (PWD) through use of educational theatre. This method enables us to empower people with disabilities by developing their Key Competences, sharing old and developing new methods, and enhancing the visibility of people with disabilities who are usually left on the margins of the labour market due to prejudice. The partnership will last 2 years, and is made up of 8 organizations from 7 different countries including Croatia, Turkey, Belgium, Latvia, Italy, Bulgaria, and Greece. An EMWOFA KA2 Strategic Partnership Project in the field of Vocational Education This KA2 Strategic Partnership Project in the field of Vocational Education "Empowering Female Farmers through Agricultural Business Management Training" (EMWOFA) will be coordinated by the Akdeniz University Faculty of Agriculture with funding from the Turkish National Agency. The project aims to provide a comprehensive educational programme designed to develop technical, entrepreneurial and managerial skills for extension educators in agriculture, and then employ these trained extension educators to train female farmers who have low standards of education, are not part of the vocational education system, have very limited knowledge of business management of farms, and who are currently working on farms. The EMWOFA partnership is made up of 3 universities, one public body, one vocational school, one chamber of commerce and one NGO from 5 countries including Turkey, the USA, Germany, Spain and Malta. 9
Study Opportunity in Europe with European Voluntary Service (EVS) Within the scope of an EU Youth Project supported by the German National Agency +inclusion Towards more inclusive non-formal education and international youth work in which our office is a partner, we are sending Orkun Karaağaç, a graduate from the Department of Journalism in the Akdeniz University Faculty of Communication to Köln in Germany, with all his expenses covered by the project budget. Both graduate and undergraduate students can benefit from taking part in EVS projects. Free English Conversation Classes for Volunteers Free English Conversation Classes were organised by the International Relations Office for our EVS volunteers from Italy, Andrea Panico and Federica Mazzoleni. Andrea and Federica, who will be organising volunteer workshops within our university within the framework of the European Voluntary Service, have already demonstrated that they can contribute outstanding personal abilities to the work they will be doing. The International Relations Office team would like to wish you a successful 2015/16 academic year. 10
Editorial Board: Prof. Dr. Burhan Özkan Ayça Altay 11