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SU and university from Turkey sign student, faculty agreement

Southern University Chancellor James L. Llorens and the top official from a university in Turkey signed an agreement on Monday that could result in students from the western Asian nation coming to study on the Baton Rouge campus.

Llorens and Dr. Hayri Coskun, chancellor of the 17,000 student Abant Izzet Baysal University, signed an agreement to offer support in faculty and student exchanges, joint research activities and special short-term academic programs.

Coskun, speaking on the Baton Rouge campus, said that "some students could come to Southern in certain degree programs."

Llorens calls today's agreement a first step "toward building a strong relationship with the education leadership in Turkey."

"This relationship will provide our faculty and students another chance to go abroad and receive a well-round, global experience," Llorens said.

He and Coskun said Southern could become a place for Baysal University students to receive degrees in programs needed in Turkey.

Today's meeting will be followed later this month and in May with visits by Turkish officials in hopes of forging agreements that will send high school graduates from Turkey to Southern.

The agreement signed today will remain in effect for three years. At the end of the three-year agreement, the participating universities will jointly assess the progress made during that time.  Based on the analysis, the universities will agree on the course the partnership will take.

Coskun, who is also a professor at Baysal University, said today that considerations will be made toward exchanging students and faculty with Southern and even to have Baysal students take some undergraduate studies on the Baton Rouge campus.

Baysal University, in the Bolu region of Turkey, main areas of study, include education, arts and sciences, economics, nursing, medicine, physical therapy, engineering and international relations.

Also represented at today's signing, were, Sukru Bai, with ONCU Private Schools in Ankara, Turday, Mehmet Bahar, vice-chancellor and dean of the College of Education at Baysal University and Ahmet Gunes, President of ONCU Private Schools.