INTERNATIONALIZATION OF THE CUKUROVA UNIVERSITY

As a Research University, we attach utmost importance to the activities of internationalization, which can only be achieved through bilateral and multi-lateral relations and cooperation initiatives. With this in mind, Cukurova University has always been open to cooperation proposals from other universities and actively taken initiatives in this respect. Besides, its main vision is to maintain such cooperation efforts within the framework of common interests and sustainability. Its mission, on the other hand, is to become a well-known brand among the World's Higher Education Institutions through achieving the following actions:

• Promoting students and personnel participation in the international activities,

  
  

• Creating a multi-cultural campus life and developing policies towards increasing the number of international students,

  
  

• Accelerating the efforts towards interiorizing the aims and principles of Bologna Process and,

  
  

• Increasing the number of cooperation protocols and bilateral agreements signed with the EU countries and the countries outside the Europe.

Within the scope of the above-mentioned mission and aims, as of 2012-2013 academic year, not only have we achieved an increase in the number of the bilateral agreements with the EU Member Countries within the framework of exchange programmes but also the efforts towards increasing the number of protocols signed with different countries have gained impetus. Within the frame of the Erasmus Programme, we have concluded more than 350 bilateral agreements with the Higher Education Institutions of 23 European countries, particularly of Germany, Poland and Italy. By this means, more than 2500 students have benefited from the Erasmus training and internship mobility and more than 200 university staff from the Erasmus staff mobility; more than 550 international students and around 150 international staff have studied and worked in our university. Our university was awarded the Diploma Supplement Label in the 2012-2013 academic year, and has accelerated its efforts to be awarded the ECTS Label. A cooperation protocol was signed with Belarus State Music Academy and Odessa National Marine Academy, followed by the protocol with the Portland State University in the USA. The initiatives taken towards concluding a bilateral agreement with the Houston University has come to the stage of completion as a result of initial negotiations with the university. 372 students from among 49 countries are participating in the graduate, post graduate and doctoral programs of the Cukurova University. More than 100 international students have studied Turkish Language at TÖMER, which was established on 16 March 2013. The MEVLANA Programme launched in the 2012-2013 academic year has taken actions to improve the possibilities of new cooperation initiatives, which will better our multi-national education environment. In this scope, we have launched student and staff mobility with Tbilisi State Medical University and Azerbaijan State Economy University, and are endeavouring to initiate mobility programmes with increased number of universities. Moreover, our university is a member of the European University Association (EUA).