Afyon Kocatepe University's (AKU) International Relations Implementation and Research Center (IRR) has started its "9th International Week" event. The event, which was held at the Erasmus Cafe, was attended by 40 academic and administrative staff from 16 different countries, including Bosnia, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Greece, Ghana, Mauritius, and Latvia, along with IRR Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Volkan Yüncü, Vice Directors Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fati?h Güngör, Asst. Prof. Fati?h Sertta?, and International Relations Office employees.
During his opening speech, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yüncü stated that AKU's International Relations Implementation and Research Center hosts an international week in the spring months every year. He added, "We are delighted to welcome our guests from 16 different countries such as Bosnia, Greece, Ghana, and Latvia to our 9th Erasmus Week. We are happy to contribute to our university's internationalization efforts and to host each of you on our campus."
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yüncü emphasized that Afyonkarahisar, the city where AKU is located, is situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Central Anatolian regions in terms of its climate, flora, and cultural features. He said, "The city's name comes from the opium plant, which is commonly grown for medicinal purposes, and the Afyonkarahisar Castle, which is a black-rock castle. In this event, we will bring our guests together with the important flavors of Afyonkarahisar, which is also one of Turkey's internationally acclaimed creative gastronomy cities. Additionally, we will create an important collaboration opportunity among participating universities."
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yüncü also highlighted AKU's vision of high-quality education, scientific and technological productivity, social and economic contributions, university-industry collaboration, and international academic work. He stated, "As a university, we have been carrying out various activities to make our students talented enough to have careers and contribute to their regional and global economic markets and work in European and non-European countries. Our Erasmus Office is among the most productive offices in Turkey in terms of international exchange programs in the context of international relations. In 2022, we sent 88 students for student mobility and 35 students for internship mobility under the Erasmus+ program. In addition, we had 121 personnel exchange with our partner universities in 2021 and 90 personnel exchange in 2022. AKU has 185 and 83 agreements with European countries and non-European countries, respectively, in KA131 projects and international credit mobility KA171 projects. Thanks to these statistics, we have the chance to be among the top universities in Turkey in terms of Erasmus exchanges. Our aim is to continue this success in the coming years."
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yüncü shared information about the program of the 9th International Week, saying, "Today, we will have our university and city tour. Our guests will also have the chance to participate in trips to Pamukkale, Izmir, and Ephesus, which are important destinations of Turkey."
