Turkey struggles to benefit from study abroad

By Pinar Tremblay. Research shows that studying and working abroad makes you "smarter." The impact of higher education on the economy, the diversity of college campuses and the potential political benefits of having allies in many countries has turned the choices of international students into a competitive market. In the case of Turkey, looking into the relationship between Turkish government funding and its foreign policy goals, we see an intriguing correlation. Baris Balcioglu, a professor of industrial engineering and the exchange student adviser in the manufacturing systems program at Sabanci University in Istanbul, told Al-Monitor, “One crucial factor that affects a university’s ranking is the number of international students it accepts annually. That's why the more diverse a university campus, the better the quality of education globally.” Read more...