The student and academic staff exchange program developed by the Turkish Council Turkish Universities Union and designated as the “Orhun Process” entered its implementation phase following the negotiation and adoption of the documents concerning the “Draft Regulation of the Turkish Council Turkish Universities Union Orhun Exchange Program” during the meeting held in Bishkek on 6–7 April 2017 under the term presidency of Kyrgyzstan–Turkey Manas University, which hosted the event.
The shared culture, common language, and historical unity among the Turkic states constitute the fundamental basis of the cooperation embodied within the Turkish Council. This distinctive characteristic differentiates the Turkish Council from other regional cooperation mechanisms. The fact that the Second Summit of the Turkish Council, held in Bishkek in 2012, was devoted specifically to the theme of “Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Cooperation” serves as a concrete manifestation of this reality.
Within the framework of the Turkish Universities Union, which was established to enhance cooperation among member states and higher education institutions and has been actively operating since 2013, numerous meetings have been convened, and the Directive on the Formation of the Turkish Universities Union and the Higher Education Area has been officially adopted. The process aimed at implementing exchange programs for students and academic staff was designated as the “Orhun Process.”
Ege University initiated the pilot implementation of the Orhun Exchange Program during the 2019–2020 academic year, primarily for undergraduate students enrolled in the Faculty of Tourism and the Department of English Language and Literature within the Faculty of Letters. In the Spring semester of the 2019–2020 academic year, Ege University hosted four undergraduate students for the first time under this program. The Orhun Exchange Program continues to operate at the university within the scope of both student and personnel mobility.
The Orhun Program is a mobility program for students and academic staff conducted among the member universities of the Turkish Council Turkish Universities Union (TÜRKÜNİB). For information regarding the member universities included within the scope of the program, please consult the relevant institutional resources.
Detailed information concerning the exchange program may be obtained from the institutional coordination offices and from the official TÜRKÜNİB Orhun Program website.
Information for Students Wishing to Benefit from the Orhun Exchange Program
There are no departmental restrictions in the application process. Following the receipt of all applications, evaluations shall be conducted in accordance with the admission decisions of the host universities preferred by the students, and the results shall subsequently be announced. Students intending to apply are required to verify, through the official website of the relevant host university, whether their current department or academic program is available at the institution to which they wish to apply.
The duration of student mobility shall encompass a minimum of one semester and a maximum of two semesters. During the application process, candidates may indicate their preference for the Fall and/or Spring Semester of the 2019–2020 Academic Year. The calculation of the semester duration may be modified in accordance with the educational system in operation; however, the total duration of the exchange may not exceed one academic year.
Throughout the period during which students participate in the Orhun Exchange Program, they shall remain officially enrolled at their home institutions and shall continue to pay the tuition fees or student contribution fees for which they are ordinarily responsible. Students participating in the exchange program are not permitted to suspend their enrollment. Furthermore, students shall not be required to pay any additional tuition or educational fees to the host institution attended within the framework of the exchange program.
Students participating in the Orhun Exchange Program may be subject to other financial obligations customarily imposed on the host institution’s own students. Such provisions shall be explicitly stipulated in the Orhun Exchange Program Student Obligations Agreement concluded with the admitted students. Higher education institutions may not impose any additional financial demands upon Orhun Exchange Program students beyond the payments ordinarily required from their own enrolled students.
Any scholarships, grants, or student loans received by students participating in the Orhun Exchange Program shall continue throughout the period of study abroad. The sending institution shall be responsible for covering the students’ transportation expenses, whereas the host institution shall provide for the students’ accommodation and subsistence expenses. Apart from these provisions, no direct monetary payment shall be made to the students.
Duties and Responsibilities of the Institutional Coordinator of the Orhun Exchange Program
The Institutional Coordinator of the Orhun Exchange Program is the staff member directly responsible for conducting, on behalf of the higher education institution, all activities of the institutional coordination office of the program. The coordinator operates under the direct authority of the highest executive officer of the higher education institution or their deputy.