New International Students Arrive

A new group of international exchange and full-time students has arrived for the fall semester. Bilkent University welcomed all international students with an orientation program held by the Office of International Students and Exchange Programs from September 12 to 24. This semester Bilkent is hosting 121 new exchange students from 21 countries and 50 full-time international students from 12 countries.

During the orientation program, international students had the opportunity to meet Rector Atalar when he gave a talk welcoming them to Bilkent. Another important part of orientation was a workshop introducing the students to the campus. Other workshops included "The Turkish Way of Living" by Ayşen Yücel, and "Turkey's International Relations" by Asst. Prof. Nur Bilge Criss.

Classes given by the Turkish Unit instructors provided the new students with an opportunity to learn basic communication skills in Turkish. The orientation program also included a visit to Anıtkabir, and dinners and lunches displaying traditional Turkish hospitality. In addition, the students had the chance to visit Beypazarı and Kaş.

While the University is hosting new international students from other countries, some Bilkent students are returning to campus after having had international experiences of their own. In the 2010-11 academic year, 230 Bilkent University students attended a number of universities in Europe and the United States as exchange students. ESN Bilkent, the Bilkent branch of the Erasmus Student Network, supports international students around the world.