ECHE POLICY STATEMENT OF BAŞKENT UNIVERSITY
Higher education institutions are much more significant than academic centers as they play a vital role in preparing high-level human resources to assist in national development. Başkent University was formed from such a development perspective. While many universities and research centers have failed in adjusting their interests to national requirements in many countries, Başkent University focuses on developing differentiated and effective academic systems in accordance with global knowledge society standards and National-European interests.
As the first foundation university teaching and serving health care simultaneously in Turkey, Başkent University is committed to assist students in building a valuable life and professional skills. The aim of the University is to raise analytical, innovative, and creative minds as self-evident truths and seeking science, sharing it in an objective manner for the benefit of humanity and the World; promoting the development of technological, socio-economic, and cultural levels by conducting research and spreading science. True to its aim, the University offers students an opportunity to live through the practice of not only their educational fields but also subsidiary areas allowing them to learn more than one foreign language, participation to art lessons, and improvement of their self-esteem through learner-based practices.
Başkent University's vision is to become a home providing high level education based on scientific production in every field of advanced medical practices as an international brand, and which transforms this to a social added value on the road to its rightful place in the line of modern civilization.
Recognized as the first University in Turkey with the International Standardization Organization (ISO) certification, Başkent University is one of the leading universities in the World promoting a student-centered education system along with a global perspective. What makes Başkent University different from other institutions is its capacity to design programs and curricula according to the changing global demands. Başkent also lead other Universities of Turkey on providing the Diploma Supplement label and ECTS label of the European Union to its graduates. Having recognition from both national and international accreditation institutions on education programs and quality assurance serves as a reference to Başkent University's worldwide reputation. The quality and reputation of the University depend on international exchanges, openness, and cooperation. Improving and increasing strategic partnerships ensures more transparency and increased trust in the relevance and quality of multinational education. Through strategic partnerships, Başkent engages locally, nationally, and internationally to heighten the quality and excellence of education and services. Başkent University is committed to offer high standards for all levels of education and with also for research, innovation and creativity.
According to the goals of the European Commission aimed to support reforms and contribute to the policy of inclusive and connected higher education, Başkent University built up an internalization strategy by using the fundamental objectives of higher education modernization agenda. All the academic programs are redesigned by the integration of national and European learning outcomes to reach key competences for Lifelong Learning.
Başkent University welcomes students to a vivid campus life enclosed with five million trees and many state-of-the-art facilities. Above all, the University hosts a high number of international student population, which now represents 52 countries throughout the World. The preference of Ankara, where Başkent University is located, by the foreign national students comes from the high reputation of the city on the criminal and living-price index among all other cities in Turkey. Ankara is not only the safest city with a low crime rate in Turkey but also houses a multitude of museums, cultural centers, and activities. Additionally, its lively social context offers a high quality of life to its inhabitants. In every aspect, at three different campuses, Başkent University offers students a dynamic living and learning environment.
As stated formerly, Başkent University offers not only theoretical knowledge to its students but also an opportunity to improve their competitiveness and increase mobility by advocating quality before quantity, which in turn results with the preferred alumni both in the job markets and professional life compared to their peers. One of the main aims of Başkent University is to have graduates with core transferable competencies whom also equipped with additional skills through learning mobility opportunities and capable of developing innovative practices across borders.
During the selection process of the Erasmus Mobility Program, either incoming or outgoing, Başkent enables full and equitable access to the participation in the program without any discrimination. Although all students and staff have the same rights to attending the program, as a policy, Başkent gives additional support to the disabled and disadvantaged students during the process. University provides a diverse array of internship and learning possibilities through their well-connected strategic partnerships with other nations as well as international institutions. The University supports theoretical knowledge with practical experience by giving the internship opportunities in its 36 health and training institutions across the country. The student profile of the University includes international students from fifty-two different countries having an education at sixty-nine programs who preferred Başkent by the referral of both their own countries' and Turkish governance. As of today, Başkent has over thirty thousand alumni and over three thousand students at our colleges which are giving education starting from kindergarten to the end of high school education.
Başkent University was founded with a motto of "Sourcing and Spreading Science by working seven days a week, 24 hours a day" in 1993. Başkent University has become a source of science by multidisciplinary researches and became a bridge of scientific knowledge connecting all the World. The year 2015 became a turning point for Başkent University since scientific studies conducted at Başkent come to be a source for innovation and entrepreneurial activities and started to act as a third-generation university. Consequently, Başkent built up the Technology Development Center as well as the Pre-incubation center along with the Knowledge, Innovation, and Technology Transfer Office to develop innovative practices across borders.
Along with the accelerated development of the World in the new era, the linear thinking and linear processes are replaced by exponential growth, and making smart investments to the future with innovative activities becomes a top priority. In order to adapt to this rapidly changing global environment, Başkent took an immediate position to internationalize the scope of its entrepreneurial activities. Başkent University is becoming a dynamic open innovation space for industrial owners, NGO’s, for stakeholders and, for student’ at all levels.
As an initiator for local, national, and international development, Başkent brings up all the education, innovation, and entrepreneurial activities that are structured as a role of commencing market innovations, helping startups, and bridging the gap with industrial applications by bringing the ideas outside the University. Başkent University enables value creation by its mediums on innovation and entrepreneurship for making a dynamic, open innovation space as a benchmark inter-disciplinary target groups which warrants a sustainable and continues innovation activities for all beneficiaries.
Besides education, Başkent also serves health care as a 3rd Generation University with an internalization policy and modernization strategy of global reach while encouraging innovation, technology development, and entrepreneurship by supporting all the needs of both national and international society. While the main focus of the University is to increase the qualitative mobility of individuals, the cooperation possibilities and good practices also have an essential place in the mainframe. On the 25th anniversary, Başkent University celebrated an equally important success of becoming a bridge from Tokyo to Buenos Aires by advanced health care practices and scientific researches. Moving ahead, Başkent University's envisions are becoming an apex in every area of the advanced health care practices as a benchmark with its high-quality education at international standards.
The Strategic Plan of Başkent University (2016-2023), published at University's web site, enables the commitment to internationalization both as a goal and an essential component of the instruction and research process by supporting international programs among faculty/students to promote a culture of global awareness.
Başkent University has selected three strategic objectives which are; Scientific Production with Internalization & Research and Development Strategies, Excellence in Learning by Distance Learning and Meeting Society Needs, and Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Regarding the internationalization as a strategic objective, Başkent has committed to build stronger and more constructive relationships with international partners, to increase the number of international students, Erasmus mobility, European and international cooperation as well as projects. Academic units and staff are encouraged to enhance powerful institutional links across the globe, including the European institutions, to benefit society on national and global scale.
As a fact that the presence of innovation fundamentally determines the competitiveness, openness, reputation and internalization of the University. On the path to fourth generation University Başkent utilizes mobility, international cooperation and research projects to fulfill the needs and demands of the knowledge-based society.
The mission and internationalization strategy of Başkent University is based on the high-quality implementation of Erasmus+ cooperation and the establishment of sustainable strategic partnerships.
With this mission, Başkent is devoted to provide a diversified academic experience for students and academic staff by integrating into the key actions and good practices supplied within the EU and Erasmus community. By 2004, Başkent University has become a part of European Union Mobility programs (Socrates, Lifelong Learning, and Erasmus+). It has 168 active agreements with 24 EU countries in 56 different areas for mobility of nearly more than 1000 outgoing and incoming students/staff as well as research projects.
According to the strategic objectives defined at Başkent University Strategic Plan, annually, the impacts of the mobility and the results of research and projects are the inputs for designing the academic activities for the planning of an exploitation process. Good practices, gained experiences, and the knowledge are shared with all stakeholders and partner institutions as a recommendation to influence the beneficiaries on their policies.
Başkent University confirms its commitment to providing multi-dimensional education and social life on the basis of mutual respect among different cultural settings and the way of lives regardless of a particular religion, race, gender, ethnic or national origin or color. Therefore, Başkent University affirms its allegiance to the equal treatment that originated on the richness of diversity.
With 12 faculties, seven vocational schools, seven institutes, and a state conservatory Başkent University enable an opportunity to build inter and multidisciplinary cooperation with its international partners. Creating the European Space under the principles of Bologna Process, enhancing administrative support for EU Policy and activities, encouraging and sustaining institutional links with EU Universities through activities take place among the main objectives of the University. As an ECTS and Diploma Supplement Label holder encouraging transparent and qualified mobility activities, supporting the EU Higher Education Area to develop internationalization is one of the fundamental objectives of the Başkent University.
Başkent University staff and students are encouraged to take part in the mobility opportunities to learn and share best practices with international experience. After the adoption of the Bologna Process, Başkent University uses a learner-centered system for credit accumulation and transfer, based on the transparency of learning, teaching, and assessment processes. Başkent University enables credit mobility by using both local and European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) according to the Frameworks of European and National Qualifications which in-turn results with the completion of the curriculum of either incoming or outgoing students.
ECTS credits earned during mobility periods are fully recognized and transferred directly to the students' curriculum and their Europass Diploma Supplements. Regarding the support of the incoming students, Başkent University assigns an academic/ administrative mentor and a student mentor named as study buddy from the related department to solve their problems and to assist them during their stay. The University supports whole Erasmus activities in all possible means and found the Başkent University Erasmus Student Network Club (ESN) to accommodate the incoming students for academic and cultural events. The formation of ESN also assists international student population of Başkent regarding mentoring, foreign language support and solving the possible issues that can be arise during daily routine life.
In order to sustain the continuous training of our administrative staff Başkent University Management encourages them to join the Erasmus+ staff training mobility program to give them an opportunity for their carrier development as well as to create an intercultural working environment.
International Relations and Exchange Programs Coordination Office (IRCO) was established to provide guidance for the University community's participation in the Programs, to facilitate its involvement in both mobility and projects with a supply of know-how about the structure and procedures of the programs. Başkent University will continue to cooperate with both in participating and non-participating countries to create an environment that welcomes participants without any discrimination and encourages mobility programs at all levels allowing students to enhance their academic experience and future employability. The structure of IRCO involves both management and operative services of the respected internalization policy and modernization strategy procedures. Full recognition for the programs, dissemination of the outputs, and evaluation quality of the implementation are duties that are divided among the IRCO staff. According to the timelines, the IRCO staff workflows are defined for both general and clerical tasks. The job description includes drafting documents, answering telephones, administrative jobs including scheduling and project management as well as supporting the participants. The IRCO staff also organizes promotion meetings and orientations to encourage students and staff to take part in the mobility programs and projects.
Başkent University bears full awareness of the importance of the Bologna Process. Therefore, the internalization policy was prepared in the Academic Assessment Coordination Office in consultation with Faculty Erasmus coordinators, which was then approved by the president of the University. The monitoring policy implementation and any necessary revisions will be conducted by the Academic Assessment Coordination Office.
As stated in the internationalization policy, Başkent is giving all the rights to its community in order to benefit the internalization activities at various disciplines. Since developing strong teaching and research collaborations are the key factors in the international strategy, IRCO is working to create a supportive framework for departments who want to build collaborations with overseas partners. In line with this aim, IRCO also provides technical assistance for increasing partnerships and mobility. The agreements are jointly planned with the Department Coordinators throughout the decision-making process and event implementation. Over the entire course of the agreement, the process also involves the Academic Assessment Coordination Office to monitor and evaluate.
Along with the consultation of Department Coordinators, Academic Assessment Coordination Office provides support in order to set up powerful relations and partnerships with other organizations to enable dynamic programs that build a community for Başkent University students. Following the approval of the partnerships, the agreements are announced directly in the University web site. Başkent University defines internationalization as a commitment, confirmed through actions to infuse international and comparative perspectives into teaching, research, and engagement activities. Başkent University board of management organizes annual meetings to spirit up and highlight the necessity of international partnerships in the changing global educational environment. Individual departments are also encouraged to meet counterparts at foreign universities and form collaborative relationships based on similar academic interests. Mobility activities are the main instrument of international exercises. IRCO prioritizes the staff mobility budget to provide opportunities for every faculty member and administrative staff in various disciplines equally. The management team of the University and IRCO believes that the process of internationalization has to cut across multiple disciplines to provide maximum benefit to the institution as a whole. The IRCO management team designs surveys to determine the potential partners to all faculty members of the University. The ones who do not involve in mobility become the primary information source during this process due to include them in the system. Even though they do not participate in mobility, they obtain IRCO valuable information about possible partners, and also each academic discipline has a chance to contend for international partnerships on their own specialties. The process of setting up an agreement is composed of not only the encouragement of the benefits of international partnerships but also drawing attention to the possible benefits that the partners can expect from Başkent University. Since the success of partnerships depends on the assurance of mutual interests, and satisfaction of the opponent, the level of the utilization of an agreement becomes essential. Therefore, facilitating reciprocity for both student and staff exchanges is the top priority for establishing successful partnerships. Raising the awareness for the internalization practices and extending the impact of the good practices, Başkent University is engaging the stakeholders and the target groups among the global needs to share the beneficial areas to influence the practices for developing new partnerships. By this structured process with the target group and stakeholders, the University aims to develop a measurable and reliable objective to provide a good quality of dissemination and exploitation, including resource planning for building up jointly designed partnerships.
Başkent University has dedication to be an environment friendly University. According to its attitude, all red tape documentation transformed into digital platform and become a university having paperless administration for the last 5 years including the student affairs. As a result of that IRCO is working on the establishment of the infrastructure for paperless process management. Due to this objective, IRCO is working in close contact with Başkent University IT Department to develop a software for the digitalization of Erasmus. The design will cover all necessary steps regarding Erasmus mobility documentation starting from nomination to the recognition of the credits. By having digitalized, Başkent will take part in the new era of Erasmus without paper. Erasmus without paper era will not be limited to just student affairs. All agreements and international cooperation’s will also be handled through digital platform. The mobile application used for local students is also going to be converted into an Erasmus Mobile Application in order to ease participants’ access to information whether on Erasmus or not. The mobile application will allow to the Erasmus students and staff to reach all information on either academic or social life on the campus as well as getting into contact with the supervisors and lecturers much more easily.
The flexibility of Başkent University has been approved by March 2020. On the grounds of the necessity of e-learning, Başkent has extended the number of the existing distance learning lectures to all the programs having students on the education. The existing e-learning platform has become widened and in the near future it is planned to have e-courses on a much more bigger scale. Although the online registration for domestic students have begun two years ago, starting from 2020 the e-registration opportunity is going to be given to the international students. Therefore, the incoming students will also be able to complete their registration process online.
Since 2003 which Turkey and Başkent University joined the EU programs, during the implementation process of mobility and cooperation projects, there was a sharp increase in the incoming student numbers. Başkent University has ultimate responsibility for the quality, academic standards, and student experience of educational partnership equivalent to comparable credit delivered at the University. As a result of that students do not hesitate to involve in mobility activities as all credits are fully recognized. After having fulfilled the accession procedures of the Bologna Process activities, the ECTS Credit system is being used instead of the local credit system. All the course catalogues, full information about the grading system, and the grade distribution tables are both published at the University web page and the transcript of records in both Turkish and English. With this transparent system, all mobility students benefit from full recognition for the credits they awarded during the mobility period. As well as student mobility, the placement will remain an essential focus of the University's international programs. With awarding the Extended Charter, Başkent University students will be able to harmonize and utilize the most updated theoretical knowledge that they have gained throughout their education with their European experiences. In this way, the students would find the opportunity to increase their employability in European space. In addition to this, students who have experienced other cultures will be able to contribute to the institution's culture and dynamics in their own countries through their professional lives.
In response to the three strategic objectives defined at the strategic plan all the modernization activities are planned not only for mobility but also building up multidisciplinary cooperation projects from Europe and the whole World. Mobility programs can serve as examples and inspire others by showing what is possible to achieve and the possibility of joint programs at the global level. Having strong local networks, conducting university-industry research collaboration and sharing best practices with international partners enables Başkent University community take part in the global arena. The education policy of Başkent made its graduates the best of all others. Since the alumni are equipped with different perspectives, pays respect to divergent ideas and qualified to work with different cultures, they become a favored workforce that can be employed anywhere in the world. Pertaining to the staff of the University, they are facing with multiple challenges during their employment at Başkent. The international projects and partnerships allow them to develop themselves and improve their capabilities through out time. As a result, a team of researchers with mutli tasking capability and having interdisciplinary work ethics are binding Başkent to the World.
Among all these international partnerships and cooperation’s, to be able to catch up the modern world requirements and sharing all the good practices with bilateral institutions the importance of the European Programs KA1, KA2, and KA3 have been arisen. It is crucial that all partners should implement the programs under the Erasmus roof to disseminate the gained experience.
As a high education institution, the main duty of Başkent is to spread out the experience gained and be a junction of different disciplines. Starting from 1993, Başkent University act as an unifying body for the multi national stakeholders. The motto of the Başkent “Sourcing and Spreading Science” will continue to pioneer the whole world to generate immediate solutions to the global needs and to bind all cultures at an impartial arena.
