Ibn Haldun University organized a Balkan Tour program with the participation of our academics under the leadership of our Vice Rector Prof. Mustafa Kemal Yılmaz. Within the scope of the program, new agreements were made and relations were strengthened with stakeholders in important universities in the region between 13 - 17 May. At the same time, potential cooperation grounds were discussed by underlining the strategic importance and central role of social sciences in today's world and in the future.
On the first day of the program, the delegation met with representatives of the International Balkan University in North Macedonia and signed a memorandum of understanding for joint research projects and exchange programs. Welcoming the delegation of our university, Prof. Lütfi Sunar, Rector of the International Balkan University, expressed the university's determination to develop academic cooperation. Within the scope of the visit, Dr. Ahmet Yusuf Özdemir, a faculty member of the Department of Politics and International Relations, presented an academic perspective on gastronomy and global diplomacy in his book “Gastrodiplomacy: The Growing Importance of Food and International Relations”.
The second stop of the program in North Macedonia was Saint Cyril and Methodius University, one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the country. The delegation was welcomed by Prof. Alexandar Skeparovski, Vice Rector for International Relations. The delegations agreed to continue the dialogue on the implementation of academic exchange programs, especially the Erasmus Mundus program.
The last leg of the delegation's intensive program was the meeting at the South East European University (SEEU), hosted by Rector Prof. Abdylmenaf Bexheti. Prof. Dr. Bexheti made a presentation to the delegation about the mission and history of the university. During the visit, a memorandum of understanding was signed between our University and SEEU, laying the foundations for the development of systematic relations between the two universities in the future.
The second day of the program was dedicated to contacts in Kosovo. Here, the delegation of our University held a meeting with the delegation of Prizren Ukshin Hoti University headed by Rector Prof. Mentor Alishani and exchanged ideas on increasing dialogue and mutual cooperation opportunities in higher education. Within the scope of the visit, Dr. Ahmet Yusuf Özdemir re-emphasized the role of food-based diplomacy in promoting intercultural understanding with his seminar on gastrodiplomacy.
On the third day of the program, our delegation visited Albania, where Rector Prof. Ali Güneş hosted a meeting at the University of New York Tirana, focusing on the development of existing academic relations and increasing international student mobility. Within the scope of the program, a question and answer session was held after the seminar titled “Increasing Sustainability-Focused Company Performance in Emerging Markets” given by our Vice Rector Prof. Mustafa Kemal Yılmaz.
In the Bosnia and Herzegovina part of the program, productive consultations were held on increasing the harmony between curricula and joint research opportunities. At the International University of Sarajevo, Prof. Mustafa Kemal Yılmaz gave a seminar centered on sustainability and answered questions from the audience. After the seminar, our delegation was hosted by Prof. Ahmet Yıldırım, Rector of the International University of Sarajevo.
As the last academic institution visited within the scope of the program, a meeting was held between the delegation of the University of Sarajevo, headed by Prof. Sead Turčalo, Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences, and the delegation of Ibn Haldun University. At the meeting, it was decided to establish direct contact between the relevant faculties for concrete cooperation.
The Balkans tour, in which the academics of our university participated, is aimed to serve as a catalyst for increasing academic cooperation with universities in the region and to encourage interdisciplinary studies in the field of social sciences.
