International Relations Unit

Hello, I am Bilge Kağan Özdemir. I am the Director of Anadolu University International
Relations Unit. At the same time, I am a faculty member in the Department of Economics at
our university. Anadolu University is one of the leading universities in Turkey in the
internationalization of higher education. For example, Anadolu University is one of the 20
universities chosen by the Council of Higher Education as a pilot university in terms of
internationalization. Our university is located in the heart of Turkey. It is two and a half
hours away from Istanbul by train. It is an hour and a half away from Ankara by train. Not
only do we have a formal program and green campus, we also have the necessary
experience to carry out distance learning. Anadolu University has been one of the best
universities in terms of open and distance education for over 40 years. We are the 3rd
largest university in the world in terms of student population. As a result of this, Anadolu
University is the university with the highest number of international students in Turkey. So
how can these students apply to our university? There are two things you can do. Students
who want to apply to our formal programs can apply with Anadolu YÖS (Foreign Student
Exam) organized by us. This year, for example, we held this exam twice, Anadolu YÖS 1 and
Anadolu YÖS 2. At the same time, we accept students with a high school diploma and
internationally valid exam results. In addition, we have 50 exam centers in 29 different
countries for our open and distance education programs. Our students can join Anadolu
University family from Canada, the United States, Austria and Azerbaijan. In order to be a
student in our open and distance education programs, it will be sufficient to apply with a
high school diploma. International students who start their education at our university can
receive English language preparatory education for a year at our School of Foreign
Languages. At the same time, students who will enroll in Turkish programs or who want to
improve their Turkish have the chance to take Turkish preparatory education at Anadolu
University Turkish Teaching Research and Application Center, namely Anadolu TÖMER.
Anadolu University is a university with many different international benefits. For example, it
is one of the first universities which provided mobility in Turkey regarding the Erasmus
exchange program. We did this the first time in 2004. Anadolu University is the first
university in Turkey to use the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). Similarly, in the
Mevlana exchange program, we are one of the most demanded universities. Our students
not only benefit from the exchange programs of higher education institutions, but also have

various opportunities such as benefiting from European youth projects or taking part in
many volunteer projects.
In addition to internationalization, another area of focus of Anadolu University is quality
studies. We have a great Quality Coordinator. Our Quality Coordinator has a motto that I
love: Quality is everyone's job. Indeed, quality studies in our university are carried out
effectively in all our sub-units. Many of our faculties and departments have national and
international accreditation within the scope of quality studies. In addition, with the diploma
supplement that our students receive with their diplomas, their diplomas will be recognized
by higher education institutions in Europe and in many parts of the world. Tuition fees for
international students at Anadolu University vary according to the department they want to
study at. We share the related information with our students on the website every year
before the applications start. For example, in the 2021-22 academic year, students must pay
an annual fee of 25 thousand liras for the Faculty of Pharmacy, while an annual fee of 7500
liras must be paid to study in the Department of Economics. Besides the tuition fees,
perhaps an important issue we should mention is the cost of living in Eskişehir. Eskişehir, the
city where Anadolu University is located, is indeed known as a student-friendly city in Turkey
and internationally. What do we mean when we say student-friendly city? We have 3
universities here. Although Eskişehir is a relatively small city compared to Ankara and
Istanbul, it is a city that hosts 3 big universities. It is a city where transportation is very
convenient and very cheap. As a matter of fact, it is a city where housing is also cheap, and
on the other hand, it is a very safe city. For example, there is a list that has just been
announced, and Eskişehir ranks 8th in the world ranking of safe cities. It was announced as
the 8th most reliable city in the world and the most reliable city in Turkey. I said Eskişehir is
a relatively small city, but another feature is that it is a city that can offer all the
opportunities offered by big cities to our students. In other words, when students come to
Eskişehir, I am sure that they will have a fun time attending the theatre, opera, and many
other cultural events. On the other hand, our campus and university are also great. In
Anadolu University, the number of activities held in a year generally exceeds 2500 in
different fields such as theatre, festivals and music performances. Another thing that I think
can attract the attention of our international students is our library. One of Turkey's largest
university libraries is located at Anadolu University and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. Except for 2 months in summer, it is open 24 hours a day, until the morning. For
example, free soup and coffee are served to our students who still work in the library after
12 pm, between 12 and 1 am. The campus is well-known throughout Turkey. Our students
receive 3 meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. An international student coming to
Eskişehir will be able to continue receiving education with very comfortable facilities. I wish
success to students who want to carry on with their education as a part of Anadolu
University family.