AGU Erasmus Policy Statement
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AGU’s international objectives are to: -Ensure that AGU is recognized as an international leading actor in creativity, innovation and high quality institution for learning, teaching, research and enterprise -Actively promote intercultural understanding and enrich the academic and cultural environment of AGU by facilitating the exchange of people and ideas through mobility -Contribute to AGU’s successful entry into the most significant world rankings -Foster quality improvements, innovation excellence and internationalisation at AGU with development of key competences and skills, with focus on their relevance for the labour market and their contribution to the society -Improve the teaching/learning of languages, promote linguistic diversity/intercultural awareness
AGU’s International and EU strategy:
International collaborative partnerships are a core element in our broader strategic objectives in regard to teaching, learning and research with a focus of societal impact.
All successful partnerships are the result of shared commitment to, and mutual benefit from, the relationship. Many of our partnerships result from individual links between academic staff. Others have been introduced through existing partners or other networks. Our international partner institutions are diverse, reflecting the different needs and priorities of our partners’ and our own students and staff. As well as developing partnerships, which are multi-dimensional and strategic, we also recognise the place of specialist, focussed partnerships for specific purposes.
While maintaining our existing geographical priorities (in Europe, East Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, North America and Latin America), we remain open to new opportunities. Through the interaction of our Strategy Groups (University – Industry Strategy Group, International Advisory Board of AGU Youth Factory and the International Office) we encourage the development of academic-led initiatives and projects, disseminating information about new opportunities and promoting good practice in all aspects of our international operations and strategy. We actively disseminate across the institution and to our local community and beyond, as appropriate, examples of the outcomes and benefits of our international partnership activity. AGU empowers its departments to implement and be partner in more Erasmus + Projects such as KA107, KA2; Strategic Partnership, Knowledge Alliances, as well as other EU funding opportunities.
In regard to mobility with full recognition, we are committed to extend the range and nature of the opportunities we can offer to our students This will include both study and work placements in participating and non-participating countries. We will continue to explore more long and short-term mobility in order to encourage participation by more diverse destinations.
In all our international activities we recognise the importance of regular monitoring and evaluation, as well as benchmarking with peers, in order to inform and influence our future practice, policy and strategy. Therefore, we follow up the Erasmus flow in each step by all means and keep close communication strategy with our stakeholders. Moreover, take active part in international rankings.
Focusing on contribution to Sustainable Development Goals of UN, achieving the objectives of the Internationalisation Agenda in Higher Education, AGU gives utmost importance to develop existing partnerships and to extend their scope so that AGU can contribute to achieving the objectives by developing relationships with other key stakeholders and/or cross-sector co-operation.
AGU will seek to develop further, in co-operation with HEIs in participating and participating countries, contribution to capacity building for higher education via Erasmus program further opportunities.
In short and mid-term strategy 3-10 years.
- Keep increasing AGU’s international visibility and assure that AGU is recognized internationally as “High-quality international HEI” - Attract better quality international students and staff to increase academic level and cultural diversity from new countries - Send AGU students and staff to better quality International HEIs and host their students and staff by leading more KA107 to enhance cooperation and exchange with the world.
In Long-term strategy >10 years; Make AGU an international reference and very attractive HEI: - Prestigious partnerships and opening of overseas branch campuses - Assure that AGU is recognized internationally as “Leading HEI” - Attract the best international students and staff - Exchanges/Double/Joint/multiple degrees; Exchanges/Double/Joint/multiple degrees will constantly be promoted and supported by AGU’s Erasmus Office and, initiated and implemented by AGU staff and carefully monitored by department coordinators and the Erasmus & Exchange Coordinators.
Partner selection:
AGU partners are chosen:
- Through the international AGU network - Through EU project partnership - Through Eurodesk network - Through AGU’s membership of outstanding global initiatives such as “Global Solutions Initiative” Knowledge Partner, Robert Bosch Foundation, Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Etc. - Through research, with careful scanning, filtering based on:
1. The quality of their institution 2. Their geographical area 3. The potential for further collaboration 4. Their alignment with AGU’s vision/missions and values. 5. Their professional approach 6. Their alignment with SDG’s
Target Countries and mode of entry:
AGU intends to become an international leading institution without market restriction or discrimination. However, due to our current means and situation, AGU will adopt an entry mode called “the wave strategy”.
The AGU Wave Strategy:
The Wave Strategy (focusing on cultural differences and classifying countries in market groups). This approach will enable us to strengthen our position in one continent before expending our activities to another.
Once we have Erasmus+ accredited for 2014 - 2015, AGU intended to turn towards Europe first. The IRC internationalization main and first target was Europe due to the geographical proximity and all the advantages that the Erasmus + programme entail. This priority was given from the start and will be strengthened all over the years as it is considered as launching pad of AGU’s internationalization strategy. Due to its successful implementation of the program, our priority is given to diversity and start taking advantage of his faculty members’ network by targeting the non-European Anglo-Saxon countries like the USA (AGU signed a “MoU” with the Illinois Institute of Technology IIT and Chicago Uni.-2013),CA,AUS,NZ and SA. And also specific focus is given to Asia.
After 5 or 6 years, AGU will be looking into continuing its expansion in the African continent and being more active in the South and East Asian markets like IN,PK,CN,JP,etc.
Objectives of mobility, target groups
- Give AGU students and staff the opportunity to increase their international experience, dimension and gain new knowledge, skills and methods in International quality HEIs - Increase AGU’s presence on the international arena - Increase AGU’s international development on campus with the presence of many international students and staff - Give European students the opportunity to learn new knowledge, skills, methods and culture in AGU, a HEI with high quality facilities and staff
Target groups:
AGU aims at attracting/recruiting high-quality international students and staff The students, staff and faculty members we aim to attract should have the following characteristics:
§ 1rst, 2nd and 3rd cycle students § Staff members § Great qualifications
These profiles are the ones that are the most likely to succeed in AGU and on the job market once out of the University. There will be of course no discrimination in the selection process and implementation of the program.
AGU intends to implement the following projects once Erasmus + accredited:
Key Action 1: -Mobility of learners and staff -Joint master Degrees
Key Action 2: -Strategic partnership (AGU has already been nominated as a best practice by TR NA via its partnership -Knowledge Alliances -Capacity Building
Key Action 3:(via the AGU “Youth Office”): -Knowledge in the fields of education, training and youth
-Support to European policy tools -Cooperation with international organisations Jean Monnet as we have just launched the faculty of Arts and Humanities. -Policy debate with academic world -Support to institutions and associations Studies and Conferences
The international cooperation strategy is a bottom-up process. The staff suggests/develops projects with the approval of the AGU IRC, which provides full support. The Erasmus Institutional Coordinator and IO coordinator monitor the projects and a yearly report is submitted to the IRC.
International cooperation projects are decided by the IRC in regard to their strategic accuracy. All projects must align with AGU’s vision, missions, interests and values, and be viable. Therefore, extra attention is dedicated to the monitoring and selection of projects. AGU staff, faculty members and student will be informed and trained about cooperation projects in teaching and training through Newsletters, Info-day sessions, Project-cycle management trainings and support for technicalities (PIC number obtainment, etc.). AGU recognises the importance of international cooperation not only in the fields of education and science but also society. Therefore the University has been engaging in such projects since its creation in 2010.
Renewing the Erasmus + accreditation would enable AGU to ease and increase its involvement in international cooperation projects.
A. Increasing attainment levels to provide the graduates and researchers Europe needs: We hope that AGU’s participation in the programme will help our institution to: · Increase the quality of students, researchers and academicians through mobility; by exposing them to different educational, social, and cultural environments · Enhance contribution to society · Increase the diversity of AGU by attracting students, staff and faculty members from different cultures and social backgrounds · Comply with European teaching and diploma standards to ensure that we produce high quality graduates with internationally recognized certifications. · Increase the attractiveness of AGU due to a combination of 100% English teaching and the promise of international mobility · Produce multi-lingual (esp. English) graduates able to export their technical knowledge to any market · Enable AGU to score better in the national and international University rankings (AGU has been nominated within the 100-200 in The Times Higher Education Ranking since 2 years and the youngest University in the world.
B. Improving the quality and relevance of higher education: We hope that AGU’s participation will help our institution to: · Bring our research and curricula levels up to the standards of highly recognized European institutions (benefit from their knowledge and expertise) · Promote and deliver employment-related skills adapted to today’s corporate sector’s expectations · Collaborate with research institutions to develop highly innovative and competitive technologies · Improve quality (knowledge, expertise, teaching methods…) of teaching staff through teaching exchanges · Provide students with access to knowledge without geographical barriers: collaboration with institutions in touch with today’s labour market and offer e-learning opportunities to facilitate equality of chances with other European graduates
C. Strengthening quality through mobility and cross-border cooperation: We hope that AGU’s participation will help our institution to: · Adapt our academic system to European quality standards · Align our diploma and credit systems with that of European universities to eradicate barriers to mobility · Benefit from future European network to make AGU a recognized institution outside of Turkey · Build AGU’s future on the best possible foundations by aligning from the start with the most demanding quality standards of our respected future European partners · Enhance cross-sectorial collaboration
D. Making the knowledge triangle work: AGU is supported by a private foundation, on which the Institution can rely to provide AGU students with high-quality traineeships at the national level. Renewing the Erasmus+ accreditation would enable our students to take advantage of international professional opportunities and AGÜ to build a European level network gathering the 3 corners of the knowledge triangle. The Erasmus consortium with chamber of commerce and industry and their counterparts abroad will contribute more in the new phase of the program.
E. Improving governance and funding: AGU’s participation in the new phase of the programme will allow us to enhance our network of partners outside of Turkey and to diversify our sources of funding, in order to decrease our dependency from the AGU foundation and therefore allow greater flexibility |