The “2nd International Erasmus+ Staff Week”, organized by the Marmara University International Relations and Academic Cooperation Office, was held this year at Göztepe Campus under the theme of “Digitalization in Higher Education.”

The opening speech of the program was delivered by Marmara University Vice Rector Ümit Süleyman Şehirli. During the five-day program, more than 50 participants from different European countries discussed both digital transformation processes and opportunities for international cooperation.

On the first day of the event, Merve Nacar from the Turkish National Agency introduced the Turna Portal System, which was developed by the agency and is used by all Turkish universities. Participants were informed about the facilitating role of the system in digital processes.

On the second day, representatives from higher education institutions across Europe shared their universities’ digitalization strategies and institutional experiences in this field. In the afternoon, participants visited the new faculty buildings and several laboratories at the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Campus, where they were introduced to the facilities.

On the third day, Erasmus faculty coordinators from Marmara University introduced their departments and exchanged information and experiences with the participants. During the Networking Event held on the same day, participants had the opportunity to establish new cooperation networks. In addition, Güssün Güneş, Associate Professor at the Marmara University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, shared information about the university’s electronic information management system, access to digital databases, and other e-services.

On the final day of the program, participants visited the Topkapı Palace, experiencing the historical atmosphere of Istanbul. The event concluded with a closing session held at Marmara University’s historic Sultanahmet Campus, followed by a boat tour where participants had the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Bosphorus.

Throughout the five-day program, more than 50 participants from 28 institutions across 14 countries had the opportunity to discuss the impact of digitalization on the Erasmus+ programme and on the internationalization goals of higher education institutions.