2007-2013 ERASMUS POLICY STATEMENT

• Please describe briefly your institution strategy, objectives and priorities for its Erasmus activities (mobility, multilateral projects and thematic networks) and any other actions in the context of the lifelong learning programme.
  Please also provide information on the following points:

What specific actions are planned to give visibility to Erasmus activities and what type of publicity will be given to the Erasmus university charter and the eps?

What kind of arrangements if any, does the institution ensure to comply with non discrimination objectives? (eg. Actions related to gender equity, integration of disabled students and staff, enhancement of social and economic cohesion and combating of xenophobia and racism.)

Bahcesehır University (BU) is a contemporary and innovative university that aims to internationalize academic life through the facilitation and enlargement of transnational cooperation particularly with european higher education institutions, their students and staff. Since BU was awarded the European University charter by the European Commission in 2004, it has paid special attention to guidance, counselling and promoting erasmus activities throughout the University. BU’s fundamental concern is to work towards the strategic objectives of the Bologna Process. Additionally, BU gives priority to support lifelong learning by offering highquality education and training to people from all levels of the community while encouraging active participation of its social partners.

BU tries to integrate mobility into a wider framework of cooperation activities, for developing a “European Dimension” within the entire range of the BU’s academic programs. Committed to best practice in the Erasmus Program, BU has 31 socrates bilateral agreements with different universities in Europe. BU sent 67 erasmus students, 7 teaching staff under Erasmus and received 37 Erasmus students and 5 teaching staff. BU’s main goal is to maintain the growing tendency of the mobility of its students and lecturers while concentrating more on the quality aspect of exchanges.

BU is an active member of the thematic network “(etndec) Doctoral Education in Engineering”. All the activities regarding this thematic network are carried out by the faculty of engineering. BU seeks to participate in other erasmus activities such as Curriculum Development (CD) projects and Intensive Programmes (IP) in the new phase of the LLP.

BU Erasmus Office, which was founded in 2003, is the main administrative body that promotes the European Commission’s education and training programmes for staff and students unıversıty wıde. In order to publicize Erasmus activities of BU, Erasmus Offıce uses BU’s website, makes announcements on student boards, prepares leaflets, sends emails, publishes articles in the university magazine, catalogues and local newspapers. In case of being rewarded the European Unıversity Charter, Erasmus Offıce commits to make original copies of the charter and the eps on university boards, announce and publish them on the BU website and magazine.

BU has always promoted equal opportunity for all of its students, staff and other stakeholders. BU’s fundamental strategy is to maximize protection from discrimination on the basis of disability, gender, race, religion, culture or other discriminative factors. In this aspect, BU tries to promote the mobility of equal number of men and women, and eliminate discrimination in student selections as in all of its educational and social applicatıons. bu brings students and teaching staff from different ethnic communities together to exchange their ideas and knowledge that also leads to intercultural understanding.

• What kind of specific measures are implemented in the institution to ensure high quality in academic mobility activities?

Details should be provided on recognition and credit systems, the provision of information on curricula, info and counselling of outgoing students, tutoring and integration of incoming students, provision of student services (in particular accommodation) preparatory and refresher language courses support and acknowledgement of staff mobility.

The implementation of Erasmus activities naturally motivate the university management at all levels to improve its strategy in accordance with the extension of European Programs. Bahcesehıir Unıversity (BU) Erasmus Offıce is the unit responsible for coordinating and supporting the development of all initiatives related to the erasmus operations.

Sınce 2004, BU has been working towards the adaptation & implementation of ects to its current system and prepared ects transcripts within the academic years 2004-2007 so as to enable students moving in and out to be evaluated on the basis of both their local grades and the ects grade & credits. Bu harmonized the European Union. Standards, to meet all the requirements of the LLP.

Diploma supplements for the current courses are prepared. Since BU was awarded DS label by commission in 2006, the DS label will raise the profıle of the institution. As a transparent and reliable partner in European & international cooperation. Upon student’s complition of the Erasmus program, credit transfer will take place. Credit points are introduced to guarantee academıc recognition. Credits are described according to student workload. Erasmus office is also responsible for the disclosure reception and treatment of information concerning Socrates program for receiving, sending and assisting students & teachers within the mobility programs, namely by helping them with the preparation of their study periods, with accommodation. While supporting them to integrate into the academic life of our university and adopting themselves into a new social environment and culture, the offıce organizes different activities with the purpose of encouraging cultural interchange between the incoming

Students and the students of Bu student council take part in these activities, being responsible for welcoming the visiting students and trying to make them feel at home. For this purpose the incoming students are also offered Turkish language and culture courses.

• What kind of specific measures are implemented to ensure high quality in student placement? Give details on how the work programme and the placement agreements are prepared and implemented. Please describe the practical arrangements agreed between the parties. Please specify also monitoring and evaluation of the placements period as well as its recognition in the curriculum.

Bahcesehir University (BU) is dedicated to match international placement students with well known companies in Europe. Bu will assist and support intern students to ensure that they will get the best out of their experiences working at European Companıes. We are planning to assist in identifying areas where a bu student can add real value. As the business world becomes increasingly “global” the need to take part in overseas work placements becomes even greater. For many of BU students the work placement has become an integral part of their course of study.

For this purpose BU will arrange overseas placement opportunities to its students in a variety of industries.

BU will offer the opportunity for its students to use their skills at utmost level in a challenging work environment, “internationalize” their cvs, enhance their future career developments, give them the opportunity to live and work in a different environment/culture, and enable them to develop new international contacts. BU believes that if a study or placement period abroad is an integral part of a formal study or training program, this fact should be stated in the learning plan, and participants should be provided with assistance to ensure its adequate recognition and certifıcation. The way in which the recognition will work should be set out in the learning plan. For other types of mobility, and particularly those in the context of informal education and training, a certificate will be issued by BU so that the participant is able to demonstrate his or her active participation and learning outcomes in a satisfactory and credible way.

Lifelong Learning

At the Lisbon European Council in March 2000, government leaders set the EU a 10-year mission to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustained economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. Lifelong Learning is the key element of this strategy. central not only to competitiveness and employability but also to social inclusion, active citizenship and personal development.

Following the adoption by the Commission on 21 November 2001 of the Communication on making a European area of Lifelong Learning a Reality. Lifelong learning has become the guiding principle for the development of education and training policy. The Communication sets out concrete proposals that aim to make lifelong learning a reality for all.

In June 2002, the Education Council adopted a Resolution on Lifelong Learning supporting the implementation of the Commission Communication.
Lifelong learning encompasses learning for personal, civic and social purposes as well as for employment-related purposes. It takes place in a variety of environments in and outside the formal education and training systems. Lifelong learning implies raising investment in people and knowledge; promoting the acquisition of basic skills, including digital literacy; and broadening opportunities for innovative, more flexible forms of learning. The aim is to provide people of all ages with equal and open access to high-quality learning opportunities, and to a variety of learning experiences, throughout Europe. Education systems have a key role to play in making this vision a reality. Indeed, the Communication stresses the need for Member States to transform formal education and training systems in order to break down barriers between different forms of learning.

Useful Links for Erasmus Program information:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/index_en.html
http://www.ua.gov.tr