The workshop entitled "Internationalization of Turkish Higher Education: Opportunities and Threats" has been held to discuss the opportunities and threats regarding the internationalization of Turkish higher education with a comprehensive and well-attended platform.

The workshop organized at the Higher Education Council (YÖK) was attended by YÖK President Prof. Dr. M. A. Yekta Saraç, YÖK Executive Board members, Yunus Emre Institute President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş, Turkish National Agency President İlker Astarcı, Migration Administration Director General Abdullah Ayaz, rectors of some universities, relatives deputy rectors, executives of international relations units, and academics.

During the workshop, the "Study in Turkey" project, designed to promote our higher education system abroad and facilitate access to our universities, and prepared with a rich content in three languages, namely Turkish, English and Arabic, was introduced. YÖK President Yekta Saraç delivered a keynote speech during the workshop.

Noting that the number of international students rose from 48,000 in 2014 to approximately 173,000 today, Saraç pointed out the Study in Turkey project is important for providing correct information and guidance to international students who want to study in Turkey.

Turkey Becoming Stronger: Yunus Emre Institute Growing

Yunus Emre Institute President Prof. Dr. Şeref Ateş underlined that the Institute continues to grow with the mission of enhancing Turkey's recognition, credibility and prestige in the international arena and conducts its activities along five strands, namely Turkish as a foreign language, cultural interaction, institutional development, cultural diplomacy and scientific and academic interaction, at 58 cultural centers in 48 countries.

Prof. Dr. Ateş also provided information on the Academic and Scientific Cooperation Project of Turkey (TABİP), conducted by Yunus Emre Institute under the auspices of the Presidency of the Turkish Republic, and indicated that students, academics, scientists and institutional all around the world can get in touch with each other using the TABİP Portal, implemented under the TABİP project.

Noting that the undergraduate and graduate students from all over the world who were interested in natural and applied sciences came together in Turkey within the framework of the TABİP Science Academy, organized for the first time this year, Ateş explained that the students who had interest in natural and applied sciences received theoretical and practice training. He maintained that the science academy which sought to promote Turkey brought international students in touch with prestigious Turkish corporations, promoting the globalization of science and knowledge.

Prof. Dr. Ateş underlined that the Institute inked protocols with 101 universities in 50 countries within the scope of the "Turkology Project" and sent 28 Turkologists on assignment to 23 universities in 12 countries this year.   Noting that the Institute not only supports universities by providing academics, lecturers, materials, curricula and technical infrastructure, but also organizes Turkology Summer Schools to boost interest in Turkology departments and ensure that Turkology students can learn Turkish language and culture on the spot, Ateş stated that 20 Turkology students from Iraq were given training at Karabük University this year.