International Center magazine Issue 5

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www.emu.edu.tr

ISSUE FIVE

SPRING 2010

international center

Message from the editor Welcome once more to the International Center Magazine. In this edition we take a look at some of the work the International Center has been doing during the 2009-2010 Spring Semester.

As you will see when you read on, the IC team has been travelling widely this semester, promoting EMU in many different countries, encouraging students to come and study at EMU and building links between EMU and other institutions abroad. We report here on some of the collaborations and accreditations that have resulted from these initiatives.

Closer to home, we look also at what we have been doing at EMU itself to help maintain and develop the multicultural and pluralistic nature of our university. With students from 68 different countries studying at EMU, much of our work focuses on building channels for these students to come together and share the rich variety of cultures and experiences that they bring to our island.

During this semester, not only has the IC inaugurated a

Publisher: On behalf of Eastern Mediterranean University Rector

Prof. Dr. Abdullah Öztoprak

new Mentoring scheme to help our students adapt to univer-

Editor-in-Chief:

sity life, but it has also continued to develop our student ex-

John Eldridge

change program. Further links with AISEC and a series of

Editorial Assistance:

summer school programs for younger learners from abroad

Prof. Dr. Majid Hashemipour Derya Sabriler Ahmed Kasim

are also generating further interest in EMU, whilst the new international merit-based scholarship system has helped

Layout and Design:

promote a steady increase in applications from international

Hüseyin Pekün

students over the course of this academic year.

We hope that this edition offers you a flavor of the work the Center does, but above all, we would hope that it en-

Address: Eastern Mediterranean University Tel: +90 392 630 2444

courages you to get involved with International Center activities, whether in a small or big way.

John Eldridge

international.center@emu.edu.tr http://ic.emu.edu.tr Print: EMU Printing-house

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH EMU INTERNATIONAL CENTER AT

http://ic.emu.edu.tr/ 2

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Scholarships for Fifteen EMU Graduate Students at Queen’s University, Canada this summer Fifteen graduate students and one researcher from Eastern Mediterranean University will be attending a Program on Investment Appraisal and Risk Analysis to be held at Queen’s University,

Kingston,

Ontario

Canada from June 21 – July 16, 2010.

This is the result of a collaboration agreement between The Department of Banking and Finance at EMU with John Deutsch International Executive

Programs

(JDIEP) of Queen’s University. JDIEP has awarded our Students with partial scholarships of US$ 8,000 and in the case of the EMU researcher a full scholarship to offset the tuition fees and housing costs of the proProf. Dr. Glen Jenkins with the Queens University delegates.

EXCHANGE PROGRAMME Opportunities for Student Exchanges have never been greater, and all EMU students are encouraged to consider the benefits of a semester studying abroad, be it with one of our exchange partners in the USA, the Ukraine, China, or elsewhere. Keep an eye open for the Exchange Bulletin, or find out more from the International Centre website.

gram.

NEW MENTORING PROGRAM AT EMU The mission of the new Student Mentoring Program is to support students at EMU through various leadership, mentoring and group activities. Our goal is to assist students in their transition into campus life and provide them with a network to encourage academic and social exploration throughout their studies.

Serving as a Mentor is a valuable form of service that directly benefits the University

community. By volunteering your time, energy and knowledge about college life, you contribute enormously to the success of new students by helping them become acclimated and integrated into the University community.

For more information about the new program and how to become a mentor, please visit: http://ic.emu.edu.tr, or take a look at the brand new Mentor bulletin.

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collaborations Another dimension of EMU’s dynamic international character is reflected in our growing number of active collaborations with other institutions of higher learning around the world. In this section, we take a look at some notable recent collaborations that have been established and which help provide more international career opportunities for EMU students.

ACADEMIC PROTOCOL SIGNED WITH WARWICK UNIVERSITY The University of Warwick is one of the UK’s leading universities and it was therefore with great pleasure that an academic protocol was signed by Prof. Dr. Abdullah Öztoprak, EMU Rector with Lord Prof.

Dr. Bhattacharyya, Director of the Warwick Manufacturing Group.

Through the protocol, EMU students will be able to study for a Warwick University MSc degree on our campus here at EMU. The degrees on offer during the first phase of the project are: • Engineering Business Management • Programme and Project Management • Supply Chain and Logistics Management The protocol also includes joint projects, exchanges of academic staff and opportunities for EMU students to benefit from the PhD programs at Warwick University. The Warwick Manufacturing Group was established to increase collaboration between higher education and industry, and has been successfully operating in the UK for over thirty years, The University of Catania An academic collaboration protocol in the field of archaeology, underwater archaeology and related research areas has been signed between EMU and the University of Catania in Sicily. According to the protocol, the EMU Underwater Research and Imaging Center and the University of Catania Department of Archaeology will carry out joint research projects in the area of Mediterranean Archaeology. The collaboration will commence wiith the participation of a group of students from University of Catania in an archaeological excavation and research studies carried out by the EMU Underwater Research and Imaging Center in Turkey. During the following semester, a student exchange program will also be put into operation.

Collaborations in Azerbaijan EMU has also signed agreements with Baku State Universitx and with the Azebaijan Tourism Institute. These agreements will see the implementation of an exchange programme, a 2 x 2 joint dgree programme and a summer school.

And more…

High level contacts have also led to the signing of collaboration agreements with two universities in Iraq and full recognition of Eastern Mediterranean University by the Libyan government.

• EMU now has over over 150 international academic collaborations.

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new memberships and accreditations!

International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education.

EMU is now a member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAE). With the help of INQAAE, the quality assurance system at EMU can be maintained and developed with much more ease. INQAAE will also help EMU improve the ongoing collaborations and accreditations with other international institutions. The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education was established in 1991 with only 8 members. Today the number of memberships exceeds 200 members world-wide. The main purpose of INQAAE is to collect and disseminate information on current and developing theories and practices in the assessment, improvement and maintenance of quality in higher education.

Increasing Number of EMU Departments Accredited by ABET. EMU is the only university accredited by ABET on the island. Even in Turkey there are only four ABET accredited universities. The Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology was established in the U.S for the purpose of assuring quality and stimulating innovation in engineering and technology education. Two departments at the Faculty of Engineering, namely Electrical and Electronic Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, were fully accredited by ABET in 2005 and now EMU is working on ABET requirements to start the accreditation process in other departments. The ABET team review 9 different categories in the process of accreditation. These are the quality of students, program education objectives, program objectives, progressive developments, curriculum, faculty members and staff, facilities and academic support.

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international

celebrations

Entertaining nights this semester have been organized by the International Centre with students from Azerbaijan, Russia, Iran, and Nigeria, and have featured dance, cuisine, and much more laid on not only by our students but by star performers from abroad, such as Tafty and Omid-o from Iran. We have hosted some illustrious guests also, including the Nigerian Ambassador to Turkey, a member of parliament from Azerbaijan and the Vijeh School of Iran for the Nooroz celebrations. All in all, these have been fun-packed occasions with involvement across the many nationalities we host here at EMU.

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SAND SCULPTURE FESTIVAL

A sand turtle The traditional Sand Sculpture Festival was held on the golden sands of the EMU Beach Club with many students attending the event and showcasing their creative skills with magnificent designs. The Sand Sculpture Festival is not only popular amongst locals but also the international students.

This classic car was awarded one of the first prizes

EMU International Futsal Tournament Eight countries competed in the latest EMU international football tournament, which began on March 15, 2010 in Lala Mustafa PaĹ&#x;a Sports Center. Each match was preceded by traditional dance performances by students from different countries. In the final, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus finally prevailed against the valiant efforts of Nigeria.

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6th EMU Underwater Symposium and Festival The 6th international Eastern Mediterranean Underwater Photography and Film Festival and 4th international Underwater Research Symposium commenced on March 18, 2010 at the Faculty of Communication in EMU. Ertuğrul Shipwreck project head Tufan Turanlı gave a fascinating presentation about the history of an Ottoman ship that sunk off the coast of Japan. He also stated that in the near future, they would like to open an exhibition on the Ertuğrul Shipwreck in the TRNC. Participants from more than 20 countries attended the symposium and the festival.

‘PERSIANISSIMO’ Iran Poster Exhibition at EMU

Visual Arts and Visual Communication students at the Faculty of Communication are proud to have hosted ‘PERSIANISSIMO’, an exhibition of Iranian graphic designers’ work.

After being held in Colorado State University (USA), University of BozenBolzano (Italy) and Eastern Mediterranean University (TRNC) respectively, ‘PERSIANISSIMO’ contin-

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ued to Marmara University in Turkey and to other universities in different countries such as Switzerland and China.

An immense crowd gathered at the Faculty of Communication for the inauguration of the exhibition including students from the department of Visual Arts and Visual Communication, Iran Vije School of Visual Communication

students and its founder Amrollah Farhadi, as well as Prof. Dr. Ebrahim Haghighi, head of the Iran Graphic.

In a similar vein, a presentation entitled “Originality & Graphic Design Today”

by Majid Abbasi, Iranian Graphic expert and curator, opened the Iranian Contemporary Poster exhibition at the Faculty of Communication, EMU on March 29, 2010.

international

summer schools

This summer, Eastern Mediterranean University is hosting students from different countries through AIESEC, the world’s largest student organization.

EMU is aiming to make our international guests’ stay a memorable and fulfilling experience; hence, various leisure activities, workshops, and tours will be organized, as well as a formal summer school. Prof. Dr. Majid Hashemipour, Vice-Rector for International and Administrative Affairs, stated that “Students will be here during the most beautiful time on the island, so the programs will be designed to ensure fun and an educational experience at the same time”. Students from China, India, Iran, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tunisia, Algeria, Georgia and Bosnia will be participating.

AIESEC everywhere!

AIESEC Eastern Mediterranean is introducing another new project.

As a result of the mutual agreement between AIESEC and Eastern Mediterranean University, AIESEC is bringing 120 internship students from 10 different countries to our island. This unique project will take place in July and, within the framework of the project, guest students from Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, India, Romania, Tunisia, Georgia, Bosnia and Kyrgyzstan will be staying at EMU dormitories free of charge. Guest students will receive training on marketing and sales aiming to promote EMU abroad and increase the international student flow to the University during upcoming semesters.

The project will incorporate a “Countries Fair” aiming to enable guest students share their culture with Cypriots and at the same time to introduce Cypriot culture to them. The fair will take place in three different cities (Nicosia, Kyrenia and Famagusta) and will be held in August.

AIESEC Eastern Mediterranean was formed in 1992 and aims to provide a positive effect on society by giving studentsthe chance to discover their own potential.

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Solomon Asipita Obaro from the International Relations Department reports on his recent visit to Berlin to attend a forum about cultural diplomacy in Europe.

The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) conducts activities to facilitate intercultural exchange, undertakes research into the theory and practice of the field of cultural diplomacy, and works to support the existing organizations and institutions active in the area - both governmental and non-governmental.

Cultural Diplomacy in Europe: A Forum for Young Leaders (CDE) is a network of young, influential people from across the world, who have an interest in exploring and strengthening relations between European States. This forum consisted of 38 participants and numerous speakers from ambassadors to members of the German parliament.

During the conference, there were lectures and discussions on topics such as Cultural Pillars of the European Union, the Impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the Clarity of the EU, National Identity vs. European Identity, Latvia in the EU-The role of EU member Nations

and finally a panel discussion on The United States of Europe: Dream or Reality. The five day seminar was busy but was always a social activity at the

end of every day such as a group dinner while also having a taste of the German beer. It was an exciting and highly educational experience.

Challenges for Science in San Diego Meanwhile Emmanuel Taiwo of the Psychology Department represented EMU at a conference held at the University of California, San Diego USA. One of the main topics was to address the challenges science faces in both developed and developing countries. EMU focused on ethical issues and also participated in a discussion panel about problems that science is facing or will soon face.

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EMU

on tour

In the Spring Semester, Eastern Mediterranean University has visited a number of countries in order to introduce the new MeritBased Scholarship for International Students as well as promote the programs, campus life and facilities of the university.

These trips sometimes involve International Educational fairs such as in Dubai, Oman, Bahrain, Kazakistan and Azerbaijan. On other occasions full scale promotional tours, for example to the Cameroon and Nigeria see International Center members crossing the length and breadth of countries, visiting schools, making tv appearances, discussing further collaborations and conducting presentations and on-spot admissions.

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