2-day Türkiye Alumni Forum starts in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

The Türkiye Alumni Forum, which gathers students from around the world who studied in Türkiye, kicked off in Istanbul on Thursday.

The two-day event, which was organized by the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) under the auspices of the Turkish presidency, has convened people who are pursuing a career in various countries after attending university in Türkiye.

Addressing the opening ceremony, YTB President Abdullah Eren said one of the biggest components in a country's power equation is human resource, stressing that it is not made up only of its own citizens.

"Türkiye, in terms of its geography, historical and cultural background, and mission in international politics today, has a resource of humans whose hearts beat with Türkiye in countries all over the world…” he said.

The YTB president said 200 graduates from 60 countries are attending the forum, which will host several panels.

The graduates of the program do not break their ties with Türkiye and it is quite important, Eren said.

The YTB received 170,000 applications from 171 countries over the past year, and 2023 applications are open, he further said.

Eren also said they bring around 4,000 international students to Türkiye every year as part of the Türkiye Scholarships program. Currently, more than 15,000 undergraduate, graduate and doctorate students are studying at universities in the country.

Meanwhile, Hee Soo Lee, an anthropology professor at Hanyang University in South Korea, who earned a doctor's degree in Türkiye's Istanbul University, expressed his pleasure to visit the city where he studied after 40 years.

"As a professor for 40 years, I am extremely proud to teach my students about Turkish culture and history ...," he said.

The Türkiye Scholarships program, also known as Türkiye Burslari, offers a range of programs for undergraduate, graduate, research, and language education opportunities in Türkiye's most prestigious universities for international students and researchers.

Applications for the scholarships provided by the YTB will be open online until Feb. 20 at the website tbbs.Türkiyeburslari.gov.tr.

Established in 2012, the YTB is responsible for coordinating activities of Turks living abroad and developing relations through economic, social and cultural activities.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan