Bilkent Welcomes International Students for the 2012-2013 Academic Year
A new group of international exchange and full-time students has arrived for the fall semester. Bilkent University welcomed international students with two separate orientation programs held by the Office of International Students and Exchange Programs. Full-time international students were able to enjoy GE100 activities in English, while exchange students started their orientation with a Turkish breakfast followed by a campus tour. 
This semester Bilkent is hosting 118 new exchange students from 24 countries and 60 full-time international students from 22 countries.
Both groups of international students had the opportunity to meet Rector Abdullah Atalar when he gave a talk welcoming them to Bilkent. Another important orientation session was a workshop introducing the students to the campus. Additional workshops included "The Turkish Way of Living" by Ayşen Yücel, "Archaeology in Anatolia" by Dr. Thomas Zimmerman and "Critical Thinking" by the Academic English Program Unit.
Classes given by the Turkish Unit instructors offered the new students a chance to learn basic communication skills in Turkish. The orientation program also included a city tour, a visit to Anıtkabir, and dinners and lunches displaying traditional Turkish hospitality. In addition, the students will have the chance to visit Beypazarı and Kaş in the following days.
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 2011-12 academic year, 290 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.