Dokuz Eylül University has 76 academic collaboration protocols with academic institutions across the World.  The DEU establishes international strategic partnerships, knowledge alliances and participates into networks and take policy support measures. DEU considers internationalisation not an end in itself but as a drive for improvement with the aim to infuse international perspective into its institutional culture. lnternationalisation strategy of the DEU involves attracting researchers to DEU ‘ and preventing brain drain, increasing transnational mobility of both outgoing and incoming students. Through EU and non-EU collaboration agreements, internationalisation of the curriculum through adaptations in line with the Bologna process, diversifying teaching and research stuff. Strengthening research and knowledge production through strategic partnerships at both national and international level, establishing strong research groups by participating in international: scientific networks and being part of the global academic community within which to benchmark and share good practices.

DEU was selected one of the 20 pilot universities by Turkish Higher Education Council (YOK) for the internationalisation strategy of the YOK in 2018. The main aims of the international strategy of DEU is to increase the number of international students and academic staff mobility in DEU. Therefore, having ECHE will provide a big contribution to the internationalization strategy of DEU.

While choosing partners, DEU seeks to ensure active, long-term and sustainable networks and partnerships, which are in balance between academic interests and other factors such as geographical distribution or subject area and which: produce results for mutual benefit. DEU chooses its partners according to the compatibility of curriculum, courses, credit system, collaboration opportunities for students and staff and demand from students, academic and administrative staff and linguistic criteria for nominated students, prospective partner institution’s reputation and benefits, which would be brought to the DEU academic units.

As a member of various academic networks, DEU prioritizes the goal of reaching out to overseas universities abroad as part of its internationalisation strategy. Study in izmir is a platform, which unites nine universities in the city to collaborating with the aim of making lzmir an attractive hub for international students and researchers. Examples of other networks DEU takes part in are European University Association (EUA), Consortium of lnstitute of higher education in health and rehabilitation in Europe (COHERE), lnternational Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU), European network for accreditation of engineering education (ENAEE), lnternational engineering alliance, BUSINET, and NICE Network. We have close cooperation with these distinguished groups and through these networks, the schools under DEU umbrella have the chance of sharing best practices, identifying problems and searching solutions to common problems.

The most important target groups of DEU’s mobility activities are researchers living abroad, incoming/outgoing students (short cycle, first cycle, second cycle and third cycle), teaching and research staff. DEU aims to become an attraction point for international researchers and reverse the flow of brain drain and to enhance its international profile by developing joint degree and double degree programs. ln this regard, DEU, offers double degree programs in Business Administration, Economics and lnternational Relations programs with the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY), (USA) and Maritime Business Administration, Marine Transportation Engineering, Marine Engineering with Maine Maritime Academy (USA). One of our primary objectives is to increase double degree programs at both ‘ undergraduate and graduate levels.

DEU has also an ongoing project under the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet network. The strategic aims of the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet network “Peace, War and the World in European Security challenges” (POWERS) led by Voronezh State University, Russian Federation (Ref. no.599962-EPP-1-2018-1-RU-EPPJMO-NETWORK) include providing multilateral approach to responses to European security challenges, developing a common vision of European security threats and fostering policy dialogue and exchange of views on the political, geopolitical and religious issues.

The main objectives of this project is to create a network (POWERS) of nine leading EU-oriented institutions, based in countries identified as key international players (EU, Middle East, Turkey, Russia); to facilitate space for a constructive dialogue about diverse visions of European security challenges; to generate modern understandings of international security beyond the state-of-the-aft by applying multi-disciplinary approach. Short term outcomes expected from the project include an open online platform “Peace, War and the World in European Security challenges”, four conferences, working papers of seven workshops, vision paper on “lnternational security threat perceptions by EU Member States, Middle East and Russia” , two books on “Europe and the migration of the Christian communities from the Middle East”, “The Secure World in perspectives of EU, Middle East, Turkey and Russia”, two advanced international summer schools, series of guest lectures and four new teaching modules on European security. POWERS Network includes the following paftners: Voronezh State University (Russia), University of Goettingen (Germany), Sciences Po Bordeaux (France), University of Seville (Spain), Kore University of Enna (ltaly), Dokuz Eylul University (Turkey), Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) – University of Jordan (Jordan), Kuban State University (Russia), Perm State National Research University (Russia).