November 22, 2025

President of the Council of Higher Education, Erol Özvar, announced that they have implemented a new regulation regarding the legal stay of international students in Türkiye after graduation, stating: “International students can reside in Türkiye legally for one year following their graduation. They now have the opportunity to seek employment and work in our country.”

Hosted by Ibn Haldun University, the 11th International Student Symposium, organized by the Federation of International Student Associations (UDEF), officially began.

In his opening speech, Özvar drew attention to the genocide in Gaza and described the pressures, censorship, and legal sanctions faced by students and academics in the United States and some European countries as an alarming situation for academic freedom and human rights.

Emphasizing that Türkiye has historically stood by the oppressed, the persecuted, and those whose rights have been violated, Özvar said: “With this approach, under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, our universities opened their doors to everyone who has been pressured for their honorable stance on Gaza, particularly Palestinian students and academics. The Turkish higher education system demonstrates its advocacy for human rights, justice, and the right to a dignified life not merely as rhetoric, but as a concrete stance reflected in practice.”

Stating that the symposium topics such as “global crisis regions,” “international politics,” and “migration” concern the shared destiny of all, especially visible in the case of Gaza, Özvar underlined that they closely follow current developments in Sudan, other political, economic, and social developments in Africa, as well as the situation in Central Asia, the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Middle East, and will continue strengthening higher education cooperation with these regions.

Özvar noted that studies on international student mobility, the main theme of the symposium, contribute significantly to higher education policies in terms of cultural integration, sociological dynamics, and Türkiye’s experience. He emphasized that the friendships international students form in Türkiye create a strong bridge of goodwill that continues for many years between countries.

“We want you to focus on your education with the least bureaucracy and in the shortest time”

Özvar stated that CoHE aims for international students to focus on their education with minimal bureaucratic burden and shared a series of innovations implemented for this purpose.

He explained that the protocol signed with the Directorate of Migration Management allows residence permit applications to be processed directly through universities, transferring bureaucratic procedures to campuses, where fingerprinting and related identity processes are carried out quickly on-site through mobile units.

Touching upon issues of security and transparency, Özvar stated that they introduced a “YÖKSİS ID” requirement on acceptance letters to prevent fake documents and unjust treatment, and that they have established a digital verification system for consulates. He added that they maintain constant communication with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in visa procedures and that a special hotline dedicated exclusively to international students was launched through YİMER. He also noted that they standardized registration dates for all education levels to facilitate planning.

– International Student Zaina: “Only Türkiye accepted us. I couldn’t even imagine this.”

After his speech, Palestinian and Sudanese students expressed their gratitude to Özvar for his support.
Zaina Haznadar, a Palestinian medical student at the University of Health Sciences, who was able to continue her education in Türkiye after being transferred from Gaza, thanked Özvar for making this opportunity possible.

Zaina said: “We received attention and support from Türkiye that we did not receive from any other country. I applied to other countries as well, but only Türkiye accepted us. We are grateful. I could not have imagined this.” President Özvar responded to Zaina by saying: “When you complete your education and return to your country, serve the people of Gaza with the good education and knowledge you received in Türkiye.”

Özvar to international female students: “You are very brave. You are like bees carrying pollen.”

Answering questions from international students, Özvar addressed female students who asked for his advice: “You are very brave. I congratulate each of you. You must crown your courage with hard work. You are like bees carrying pollen—you bring the pollen from your homeland here, and you will carry what you learned here back to your countries. If you have any problems, never hesitate to tell your administrators. Form friendships based on morality and virtue. Learn, work, love your homeland and nation deeply, and do not become alienated from your own country. We love international students who love their countries even more.”

– Broad Stakeholder Participation –

This year’s symposium stands out with its extensive international academic partnerships. Among its stakeholders are the Union of Academics and Writers of Islamic Countries (AYBİR) and the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), as well as International University of Sarajevo, Ethiopia Raya University, and Malaysia International Islamic University.

At the opening of the symposium, which aims to provide a scientific foundation for Türkiye’s international student policies, speeches were delivered by Ibn Haldun University Rector Prof. Atilla Arkan, Raya University Rector Prof. Tadesse Dejenie, AYBİR Chairman Assoc. Prof. Ebubekir Ceylan, and UDEF President Abdullah Muhammed Islam.

Following the opening speeches, panels were held on “Contributions of International Student Mobility to Public Diplomacy in the Context of the Turkish Century” by Prof. Dr. Bekir Berat Özipek, “Contributions of International Students to the Turkish Economy and Business World” by Businessman Oral Avcı, and “Analysis of International Studentship in the World and in Türkiye” by Prof. Zekeriya Mızırak. The symposium also featured various sessions on International Studentship, International Politics, Migration, and Global Crisis Regions.