IHECON 2024: "Global Collaborations and Internationalisation in Higher Education Discussed at OMU"

A hybrid conference titled "Internationalization in Higher Education: Navigating Global Challenges and Opportunities Conference (IHECON 2024)", focusing on internationalisation in higher education, was held by Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU). Held both face to face and online, the conference was joined by 26 universities and 5 institutions from 19 different countries as stakeholders. The organisation was also given sponsorship support by the Yunus Emre Institute, Samsun Metropolitan Municipality and Çarşamba Municipality.

The conference was held on 25-27 October at the OMU Atatürk Congress and Culture Centre (AKM) and the UZEM Conference Hall. The opening speeches were given by Prof. Kimberly Noels of the University of Alberta in Canada and Emeritus Prof. Hans de Witt of Boston College. The conference's opening event continued with a special session at which three keynote speakers presented. A total of 70 papers were presented from 22 different countries, and after the sessions, held in 18 separate halls, academic discussion continued with interactive question-and-answer sections.

Prof. Mustafa Said Kurşunoğlu, Head of International Relations at OMU and also Chair of the Conference Organising Committee, spoke about OMU's internationalisation work and the aims of the conference. Stating that OMU has concluded collaboration agreements with 180 universities in 53 countries since 2012 and hosts 5,000 international students, Kurşunoğlu drew attention to the importance of keeping up with the global and digital trends in internationalisation today. He stated that project-based collaborations and institutional initiatives are to the fore in line with OMU's goals as a candidate research university.

OMU Vice Rector Prof. Çetin Kurnaz, speaking at the opening, stressed that this conference is a sign of the importance OMU attaches to internationalisation and thanked all the participants who had come from different countries. OMU Rector Prof. Fatma Aydın also followed the conference closely. Prof. Mahmut Aydın, Rector of Samsun University, and Prof. Qiang Zha of York University also addressed participants with opening speeches.

While the conference brought together academics from all over the world, it was represented across a broad range with the participation of figures such as Prof. Vincent Kakembo, Rector of Mutesa Royal University (Uganda), Prof. Zakir Jumakulov, Vice Rector of Kazakh National Women's Teacher Training University (Kazakhstan), Nazlı Tyfekci, Vice Rector of Fehmi Agani University (Kosovo), and Süleyman Jabati, President of the Sierra Leone Türkiye Friendship Association. Leading academics such as Prof. Melahat Bilge Demirkoz, Head of the Türkiye Space Research Institute, Prof. Dewi Yanti Liliana of Politeknik Negeri Jakarta in Indonesia and Prof. Datuk Ir. Ts. Dr. Ahmad Fauzi Bın İsmail, Rector of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Malaysia, also gave their presentations in the sessions.