Erasmus Policy Statement

Erasmus Policy of Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University
 

Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University (BANÜ), which is a new generation state university of our country with 27 years history and 3 institutes and 6 faculties and 7 vocational schools and more than 180 departments and programs offer a good quality of education to both international and local students. Our University takes Bologna Process as a base in Educational Principles. There are 100 ongoing International Agreements in the frame of Erasmus+ and Mevlana Exchange Programs. Our students can have education with scholarship in 87 other universities in Turkey in the frame of Farabi Exchange Program. Our students and staff are encouraged to participate in both individually projects and group projects. There are 1228 international students from 56 countries.

The vision of Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University as officially stated in its strategic plan is to achieve international excellence in education and research. The key issues regarding internationalization explicitly identified in the strategic plan are: i) to increase international components in education and research activities, ii) to improve the students’ international experiences, iii) to increase international mobility of the staff, iv) to increase the number of institutional collaborations with international universities, research centers and research networks, and v) to ensure the comparability of academic and administrative procedures with international practices and also to ensure their sustainability, vi) to support policy development and cooperation, vii) to apply joint master degrees.

To achieve internalization excellence in education and research, BANÜ applies modernisation strategy. The key issues regarding modernisation explicitly identified in the strategic plan are: i) to create a Curriculum Modernisation Strategy and Action Plan, ii) to organize a Curriculum Review Committee, which will supervise the modernisation process, iii) to offer the students flexible options of on-campus and online programs that allow them to take courses as per their needs, iv) to improve the quality of online learning management platform, v) to upgrade courses for mobile compatibility,

With this purpose in mind, Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University will increase its involvement in structured and long term cooperation which will be implemented with the help of its Erasmus Office, the Office of the Vice-Rector for Education and Academic Affairs, and Registrar’s Office. These units will help with the planning and coordination of all cooperation projects.
The University provides a high level of support to incoming Erasmus+ students as for all students registered in Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University. This means that orientation programmes are provided both by the University and by the individual departments, the incoming students have access to personal tutors and have the same teaching contract as their peers. The University recognizes the special needs of disabled students who can assess for all facilities. 
The Equal Opportunity Policies of the University apply not only to the selection of outgoing students but to the teaching and learning experience of incoming students. In order to have high quality in academic mobility activities, Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University complies with the followings; All proposals for new partnerships are going to be approved by the relevant Faculty and Department Erasmus Coordinators and will be required to satisfy the requirements of the University's policy document on the quality control of placements, including exchanges. 
Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University Erasmus Office identifies international cooperation policy in order to encourage institutional cooperation on issues related to education and ensure mutual recognition between countries. Interaction between local and foreign students is aimed to increase by providing various projects under the guidance of the office. Students and staff are actively encouraged to participate in exchange programmes.

BANÜ undertakes to acknowledge the importance of fostering transparency and building trust in each other's higher education systems to achieve automatic mutual recognition for the purpose of further learning, agree on fulfilling all the conditions according to Council Recommandation on Automatic Mutual Recognition.

University will take a role for the replacement of the incoming students from the institutions which we are actively collaboration under Erasmus and also with others that we will collaborate under Erasmus and Erasmus+ Programs. Erasmus Office (EO) will assist students looking for positions and academic institutions for placement. Also, EO will offer help to incoming students and outgoing students seeking internships and work experience placements. 
While Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University determines geographical areas, the universities from program and partner countries primarily preferred. All exchange partner proposal is planned to go through a thorough approval process at faculty and university level concerning academic match, status of institution, the nature of student support and all linguistic requirements. The departments focus on cooperation in diverse areas. Since the diversity leads to improved quality in education and research, Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University supports social, ethnic and cultural diversity in education and research.
Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University supports quality and quantity studies for mobility activities in each level such as first, second and third cycles. Although first cycle students are the primary task of the Erasmus Office, the office guides to students for exchange programmes in other cycle levels. Number of mobility students are set into balanced proportions depending on the number of students of each department.
Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University expects its participation in the Erasmus+ programme to impact all the six priorities as per outlined below:
1. Increasing attainment levels to provide the graduate and researchers Europe needs: The University’s participation will help its capacity to provide international experience to its student body and it is imperative for providing financial support to students from lower income backgrounds, thereby providing them with the opportunity to build their confidence to compete on the international scene. 
2. Increasing the quality and relevance of higher education: We believe that exposure to the teaching and research practices of HEIs from different countries will contribute positively to our university’s strive for perpetual improvement. First-hand experiences gained by the mobility participants will provide acquaintance with successful innovations and practices to help in developing a greater variety of study modes and enable the development of more effective methods.
3. Strengthening quality through mobility and cross-border co-operation: Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University promotes mobility and works to eliminate any barriers to cross-border cooperation and exchanges, including implementation of various improvements for efficient recognition of credits obtained abroad. Participation in the Programme will be a crucial ingredient in sustainable revisions and reforms for effective quality assurance.
4. Linking higher education, research and business for excellence and regional development: Past mobility which was carried out under Balikesir University has increased the awareness levels of students and staff members regarding demands of international enterprises. Participation in the Programme will ensure the continuity of this awareness and provide additional motivation to implement changes that will lead to improved cooperation models with the business world as well as strengthening knowledge-transfer infrastructure.
5. Improving governance and funding: Our institution’s relations with international HEIs will expand its visibility and increase research collaborations leading to development of centers of excellence, and also help to attract public and private funding through research and development projects involving its select partners. It is expected that mobilities and network memberships will help Bandirma Onyedi Eylul University study and benefit from different governance and funding mechanisms in place in Europe and elsewhere, and the University will use such shared knowledge and best practices for improvement.

6. Modernising the university: Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University aims to achieve the target of being a modern university which is a main necessity of Bologna Process. Our institution undertakes to further modernise itself and contribute to goals of a European area. It is expected that thanks to the relations with international HEIs and mobilities, BANÜ will apply European Students Card Initiative and more technology to meet the needs of modernisation.