SUBR continues to build relationship with Turkey

A group of Southern University faculty and administrators recently made presentations at various universities in Turkey as the Baton Rouge campus continues to build relations with the country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.

Those making the visit included Dr. Michael Stubblefield, Vice Chancellor for Research and Strategic Initiatives, Dr. Kamran Abdollahi, professor and Chair of Urban Forestry, Dr. Osman Kandara, professor of Computer Science and the University Liaison for Turkey, and Abdullah Tekin, an Urban Forestry Ph.D. student recently returned from Turkey.

The SUBR group met with various Turkish higher education officials and discussed the opportunities to enhance the relationship that SUBR Chancellor Dr. James Llorens and Kandara started with Turkey last year.

Also making the trip were: Dr. Diola Bagayoko, professor and Chair of Physics; Dr. professor Patrick Mensah; Law Center Chancellor Freddie Pitcher;  Dr. Barbara Carpenter, dean of International Education and Director of Continuing Education; Dr. Habib Mohamadian, dean of the College of Engineering; and Dr. Ebrahim Khosravi, chairman of Computer Sciences Department.

Some of the officials they met with include: the Secretary General of Inter University Board  Council Members of Turkish Higher Education Council; Prime Minister Advisory Board Member; Mayor of Kirikkale; Congressmen of Duzce, Nigde, Bursa, and Elazig; Chancellors/Rectors of Kirikkale, Karabuk, Bulent Ecevit, Bursa Technical, Yalova, and Orhangazi Universities; and vice chancellors, deans, and faculty members of those universities.

SUBR has formal partnership agreements with Kirikkale, Bursa Technical, Abant Izzet Baysal, Sakarya, Istanbul Commerce, and Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim universities of Turkey.

As a result of these partnerships, SUBR has already hosted more than 15 visiting professors fully funded by the Turkish government for conducting collaborative researches with SUBR faculty. Ten or more will be coming to SU soon.

In addition, around 13 faculty members from Kirikkale University will be coming for language training at our ELTP program.

Two SULC professors will be in Kirikkale University to offer a two- to three-week short course series, according to the SU delegation.

An agreement with Kirikkale University has been signed to establish the SUBR's Global Connection Center at Kirikkale. Once activated, the center will be utilized as the admission and/or the contact center to recruit students from Turkey. A number of Turkish students are expected at SUBR as early as Fall 2013, according to the SU delegation.

The recent visit was collectively funded in part by our Turkish partnering institutions. The SUBR group received a warm welcome and got a nationwide attention in the news.