Türkiye’s universities are among the top 10 globally in attracting Arab and foreign students policy

Ankara- In a world where there is increasing competition to attract young minds, Türkiye is emerging as one of the most important educational destinations on the international scene. With a unique combination of academic quality, cultural diversity, and reasonable costs, Türkiye has become the ideal choice for students looking for a university education that combines excellence and rich life experience.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last Friday, during the “Fourth Istanbul Education Summit,” that his country is now among the top 10 countries in the world in receiving foreign students.

Erdogan added, “By providing university education to 338,161 international students this year, our country, which allocates 4.76% of its capacity in higher education for this group, occupies a position among the top 10 countries in the world.”

He pointed out that the Turkish Knowledge Foundation, which is active in 55 countries, is making efforts to transfer Turkey’s rich and ancient educational heritage to all parts of the world.

For his part, the head of the Turkish Higher Education Council, Erol Ozvar, confirmed in his statements last November that Turkey will host, as of 2023, about 350,000 international students from about 200 countries, equivalent to 2.9% of the total international students around the world. According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

He added, during his speech at the opening session of the 16th Conference of Deans of Universities in the Black Sea Region, that “Turkey today is among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of the number of international students, and we seek to raise this number to 500,000 in the near future, with an ambition to reach one million international students in the next stage.” “Coming.”

Arab presence

Özvar stressed the importance of “internationalization” in the Turkish higher education system, stressing that the development achieved by Turkey in this field is “very strong and promising for the future.” However, he pointed out that the current plans are not limited to numbers only, as Türkiye seeks to enhance quality and accreditation in the system. Higher education.

According to the World Federation of Student Organizations, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada topped the list of countries hosting international students most last year.

Turkish universities are a major destination for Arab students, who constitute a large percentage of the total international students in Türkiye.

According to data from the Turkish Higher Education Council for the current year, the number of Arab students reached more than 130,000 students, equivalent to about 39% of the total international students in Turkey, which highlights Turkey’s position as a preferred choice for students from the Arab world.

Syria tops the list with 60,750 students, followed by Iraq with 13,153 students, then Egypt with 10,695 students. Other Arab countries are also witnessing a notable presence, most notably Yemen with 7,927 students, Somalia with 8,872 students, and Sudan with 5,847 students, while the rest of the numbers are distributed among the Maghreb and Gulf countries.

Attraction factors

Turkish universities occupy a prominent position in the higher education rankings. According to the URAB classification, which specializes in classifying universities based on performance, Turkish universities such as “Middle East Technical University,” “Istanbul University,” and “Boğaziçi University” have achieved advanced positions among the top 500 universities for the year 2023.

For example, Middle East Technical University ranked 336th in the world according to the “QS” classification, while Istanbul University ranked 450th in the “ARWU” classification, and Cankaya University ranked 173rd in the “US News” classification, for the year 2023.

The educational system in Turkey is also characterized by the great diversity of academic programs available in Turkish and English, which makes it a preferred choice for international students, especially from Arab countries, as these programs provide specializations that meet the needs of the global labor market, in addition to easy admission for foreign students and a university environment that allows them to experience… Integrated educational and cultural.

Moreover, education and living costs in Türkiye are lower compared to Western countries, giving students the opportunity to obtain high-quality education at reasonable costs. The ease of transportation from Arab countries and Türkiye’s geographical proximity enhance its attractiveness as an educational destination, as it combines academic excellence with a strategic location that connects East and West.

Government support

Türkiye adopts a comprehensive vision to strengthen its position as a global destination for education, based on government policies that combine academic support and cultural promotion. In this context, the Presidency of Diaspora Turks and Related Communities Affairs is at the forefront of efforts through the Turkish Scholarship Programme, which was launched in 2012 as one of the most ambitious government programs to attract international students.

The program provides educational opportunities for outstanding students from all over the world, as it not only provides free education, but also covers the costs of housing, health insurance, and Turkish language courses, while receiving more than 121,000 applications from 170 countries in 2024, and providing about 5,000 scholarships. annually.

In the context of supporting these efforts, the Yunus Emre Institute plays a pivotal role in spreading the Turkish language and culture globally through more than 40 cultural centers around the world. The Institute offers Turkish language courses and organizes cultural events aimed at introducing other peoples to Turkey’s rich heritage and strengthening cultural ties with them.

In this context, the researcher at the Turkish Education Endowment, Akram Reza Oglu, stressed that the internationalization of higher education represents a strategic priority for Turkey, as it seeks, through programs such as Turkish scholarships, to attract thousands of international students annually, which contributes to strengthening its soft power and building cultural and diplomatic bridges with… Various countries of the world.

Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, Reza Oglu pointed out that attracting international students has multiple benefits, including supporting the local economy through students’ spending on education and living, and activating service sectors. These students also play a future role as a bridge linking Türkiye to their countries of origin, as they become cultural ambassadors who strengthen bilateral relations, he said.

The researcher stressed the importance of developing higher education policies to include internationalizing curricula and establishing international university branches, with a focus on linking graduates of scholarship programs with vital sectors such as advanced technology, in a way that enhances sustainable development and keeps pace with the needs of the local market.

He concluded by saying: “Türkiye sees international education as a strategic tool to achieve its development goals and enhance its position on the global stage.”