Exploring Internationalization in Turkish Higher Education: Insights From Intern

Abstract

Globalization has led to a growing interest in pursuing higher education abroad, with increasing numbers of students seeking university education outside their home countries. This trend has prompted countries to adopt an international dimension in education, including Turkish higher education, which is focusing on new practices to attract more international students in the face of global competition. The mobility of students who pursue university education outside their home countries is a key factor driving these changes. This research aims to contribute to the internationalization of Turkish higher education by examining the reasons for international students choosing Turkey, their expectations, and their opinions on the quality of Turkish higher education. In line with this purpose, the experiences, expectations, challenges, and issues faced by international students at Ankara University and Kırşehir Ahi Evran University have been comparatively examined and proposed solutions. In this study, which uses qualitative research methods and snowball sampling from purposive sampling methods, 12 international students at Ankara University and 11 international students at Kırşehir Ahi Evran University participated. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA Qualitative Analysis Software with the content analysis method. As a result of the study, six themes have been identified regarding the problems encountered by international students and the solutions proposed for these problems, including "Reason for Choosing Turkey," "Reason for Choosing the University," "Reason for Choosing the Department," "Problems Experienced," and "Gains of Studying Abroad.