Altınbaş University

Altınbaş University (AU) is a young and dynamic university in Turkey, admitted its first students in the 2011- 2012 academic year. It is a non-profit foundation university founded by the Mehmet Altinbas. Mehmet Altınbaş Education and Culture Foundation is one of the most significant philanthropy projects of Altınbaş Group which operates internationally with its 54 firms. The medium of instruction is English at Altınbaş University for most of the programs.
AU aims to be an internationally recognized research university that offers high-quality education of international standards. The objective of the university is to equip its students with knowledge, skills and competences for them to flourish within a global society, by fostering a culture of excellence and respect for other cultures and ideas. The university aims to create an intercultural learning environment for its students to facilitate intercultural encounters. Thus, AU made international mobility and cooperation the central elements of its institutional strategy.

AU has a strong commitment to internationalization at home and abroad. It has shown its dedication to the internationalization of education in various ways: Participation in the Erasmus program as well as the organization of international projects, seminars and conferences. It is also reflected by its strategy to admit international degree students and to promote international mobility for its students and staff.

Currently, AU has many Erasmus partnership agreements with prestigious universities in Europe. Besides Erasmus, an academic and research partnership agreement was recently signed with Geneva University which is one of the major teaching and research universities in Italy. Beyond Europe, other cooperation agreements were signed with the universities in the USA, Argentina and Pakistan. Furthermore, AU is eager to widen its partnerships geographically and there are potential partnership opportunities currently under negotiation in the South and Middle Asia, Australia and Africa.

The University also aims to strengthen a volunteer spirit, social responsibility thought formal and nonformal means like introducing a Social Responsibility as a compulsory course as part of the curriculum and Student Club activities under the supervision of the Department of Health, Culture and Sports.

Department of Health, Culture and Sports and Erasmus Office work in collaboration in order to help students develop intercultural and international competencies by encouraging them to participate in various cultural, international activities and exchange programs based on their talents and interests.
Department of Health, Culture and Sports, organizes Orientation Programs for newly enrolled students as well as individual constant support regarding all kinds of administrative procedures.

The Career Center of the University, with the help of the Alumni Association, assists all graduates regarding further education and employment opportunities. Besides, the Career Center also coordinates the Social Responsibility Course

As mentioned above, the Department of Health, Culture and Sports, to encourage volunteer spirit, social responsibility, supports the Students Clubs’s activities. Below are some examples;
• ‘’My Village’’ Project conducted by Medicin Club. As part of this project, our students find a village that needs medical help in the east or west of Turkey. They visit villages and examine the old local people and children. They also play games with children to prevent doctor fear.
• The Animal Rights Protection Club created a group based on different practices of Animal Protection Law in Turkey. In this group, they invite experts on animal protection law for the training courses and they inform people via brochures and social media according to the results of the training course.
• The Pharmacy Club has aid projects in the east of Turkey. They realized an aid campaign in order to send stationery materials and toys to children in the village of Mardin. They are planning to keep in touch with children with new social responsibility projects.
• The Gender Equality Club works on gender equality violations in Turkey. They regularly visit NGOs specialized on this subject.

Health, Culture and Sports Department and Erasmus Office in collaboration with the all relevant departments like; Career Center, International Academic Cooperation Unit and International Office) aims to develop new strategies in order to conduct Exchange projects including Student Clubs in which volunteers are involved many different kinds of local activities in areas such as animal protection, cultural activities, child care, environmental protection, human rights, gender equality etc