In the context of its mission/vision and internationalization strategy; Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University has adopted a university model which is internationally advanced, recognised in education and training, science and technology; and gives particular importance to transnational cooperations as well as to interculturality. Therefore, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University maintains to embark efforts to reinforce the policy of establishing amicable and productive academic and cultural relations with higher education institutions and other relevant organisations worldwide, as well as to promote international student, staff, faculty and non-faculty mobilities following its tradition of openness and mindful of its international reputation, geographical position and potential. Concordantly, the university also holds an institutional mentality for continual modernisation in its vision. It is the fact that Erasmus+ Programme which has shown great development and gained wide currency over the years and accordingly whose scope has expanded, will continue to take a key role in the abovementioned internationalization strategy of Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University; and also, the new principles and implementations of the program which have been developed according to the changing conditions in the world and the new goals and vision of the European Commission towards the establishment of a European education area will shed light on the university's modernization initiatives. In this regard, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University follows EU Agenda of modernization, innovation, partnership and priorities for higher education closely, in terms of sustainable development strategy.
Under favour of participation in Erasmus+ Programme; Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University which was founded in 2006 and has carried out Erasmus activities since 2007, within this period, has made many inter-institutional agreements with 122 higher education institutions from 25 countries; and aims to expand its international cooperations in the new Erasmus+ period without sacrificing quality. These collaborations with institutions abroad have enabled numerous students as well as academicians and other staff members of the university to benefit from mobilities and other activities of Erasmus+ programme. Likewise, it is anticipated that Erasmus+ activities will contribute to enrich and foster many more students' and staffs' intellectual, cultural and personal experience, and also language skills becoming widespread, in the new era too.
Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University has an advantage of being at the centre of industrialisation that is mostly located in Trakya region of Turkey. This gives a more important role to the university within the framework of the integration of the industrial sector and vocational schools of the university. So, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University aims to bring a solution to the unemployment of qualified graduates in the region as well as a transparency in the quality of higher education in the framework of placement. With international activities (mobilities, projects etc.) about the integration of industry and university, the university has proved to have the potential to use its dynamic background for the wellness of the region as well as the country.
Erasmus+ Programme is prominent especially in the matter of quality and internationalization. Our university is important not only with its academic merits but also with the numerous graduates it gives in each year. Therefore, we believe participation to the programme will provide significant contribution to increasing number of qualified and sophisticated graduates and researchers. When the huge and dynamic population of Turkey is considered, this contribution will be a kind of response not only for Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, but also for the needs of qualified human resources in Turkish economy. Besides, it is for sure that by widening traineeship and training activities, the bonds between regional business sectors and the University will be widened and deepened. Furthering bonds between business sector and University will promote regional development and prosperity.
In line with all these above, Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University has started to focus on the following specific policy objectives for the new era of Erasmus + Programme:
Fully implementation of the digital platform for incoming and outgoing applicants
Electronically automatic full recognition process
Saving former exchange students data like as done in graduate information systems
Data mining (for a precise data extraction meeting the needs)
Designing periodic surveys towards the shareholders under the total quality management principles, in order to increase quality, to expand awareness, to increase target audience satisfaction, to increase sense of belonging and participation, in terms of specifically Erasmus+ Programme and the entire internationalisation and modernization strategy
Mentoring to new outgoing students by former outgoing students on the countries and institutions to go, so that it contributes to provide sustainability of outreach of knowledge
Adding Erasmus history of exchange students into the graduate information system, so that it contributes to provide institutional memory on digital media
Encouraging disadvantageous groups to participate in Erasmus+ mobilities/activities. Improving conditions and infrastructure for disadvantageous groups
Presentations/webinars by outgoing students after return e.g. best practice, success story podcasting
Blog posts into the Erasmus website by exchange students e.g. interesting experiences, so that it contributes to enhance cultural awareness and intercultural competence (same can be applied for staff member)
Developing and dissemination of prophylactic measures against epidemics and/or pandemics
Encouraging and dissemination Erasmus acitivities on the subject area of Health (Medicine, Nursing etc.) which were performed more rarely in the earlier periods due to curriculum incompatibilities.
Implementing Erasmus+ Programme within the scope of environmentally friendly practices, with a full digitalisation approach and target