AMSTERDAM - The Netherlands Organization for International Cooperation in Higher Education (NUFFIC) wants to improve education cooperation at academic level with Turkey.
A meeting on possibilities for improvement of exchange of academicians and students between higher education institutions of the two countries was held by NUFFIC in The Hague on Tuesday.
Delivering a speech at the meeting, NUFFIC Director Prof. Pieter Van Dijk said that relations concerning exchange of students and lecturers between academic institutions of Turkey and the Netherlands were not at a desired level and added that they should be improved.
Prof. Van Dijk said that Turkey had a young and dynamic population whose need for education was increasing and stated that existing education possibilities in the Netherlands could meet this need.
Stating that they, as NUFFIC, foresaw to focus on Turkey in 2003, Van Dijk said that they wanted to improve mutual cooperation in higher education field between the two countries with a similar program to Erasmus program of the European Union (EU).
Turkish Ambassador in The Hague Tacan Ildem who addressed the meeting said that Turkey wanted to improve cooperation in education field with EU member countries within the scope of Turkey's full membership orientation to the EU.
Stating that improvement of cooperation in education would play an important role to remove some negative views about Turkey which stemmed from lack of information in public opinion of EU member countries, Ildem said that to this end, improvement of relations in higher education between Turkey and the Netherlands would be a significant means.
Recalling that first steps of it were taken with Turkey's participation in Erasmus program on the basis of pilot project in 2003, Ildem said that Turkey and the Netherlands had an exchange program between Bilgi University and Leiden University within the scope of MATRA Program. Ildem noted that it unfortunately remained at a symbolic level and it did not reflect current potential.
Ildem said that both countries would have benefits from a mutual cooperation which would be established on sound bases between NUFFIC and Turkey Higher Education Board.
Erasmus Turkey National Agency Program Coordinator Tulay Rojay said that Turkey had a great potential in higher education and stated that pilot implementation started at 15 universities in Turkey under Erasmus-Socrates program.
Rojay added that there would be exchange of students studying at these universities and students studying at universities in EU countries.
Participants were also informed about higher education institutions of Turkey at the meeting.
(EÖ-AÖ) 14.05.2003