Turkey new flagship of EU’s Erasmus program

Sure, as many may guess, there are a lot of reasons why you should spend a semester abroad, from learning another language and developing intercultural skills to building up international networks -- or simply making new friends.

Thus, in order to increase the mobility of European students and promote cross-border cooperation in the field of education, the European Union took the first steps to establish the Erasmus student exchange program in 1987. Students who join the program study for a period ranging from three months to an academic year in another European country.

Over the last few years, the program has achieved sustained success. According to the European Commission, around 90 percent of European universities take part in Erasmus today and more than 2 million students have participated since it started in 1987. More than 4,000 higher education institutions in 31 countries are already part of the program, with even more waiting to join.

Surprisingly, next to the classic favorites of Spain, France, Germany and Great Britain, countries in Central and Eastern Europe seem to have contributed to this success, with participation rates rising by 20 percent.

The 2004-2005 academic year was the first in which Turkish universities took part. When examining Turkey's Erasmus performance in detail, we can see a real success story. While in 2004 about 1,100 outgoing and 300 incoming Erasmus students were registered in Turkey, only three years later about 3,000 Turkish students left the country to study abroad and 1,000 students came to Turkey. The last all-out statistics, prepared by the European Commission in 2007, showed an annual increase of about 150 percent in incoming students.

In search of something extraordinary in İstanbul

İstanbul seems to have become a trendy city for Erasmus students in particular. Walking through the city's typical student and nightlife quarters, such as Taksim and Galata, one certainly comes across a number of them. What makes İstanbul particularly attractive for European students? What brings them here?

“Well, I was searching for something more extraordinary, something out of Central and Western Europe. And because I have always had a special interest in Islamic culture, Turkey seemed the right choice,” explains Janna, a German national. She just took her last exams at İstanbul's well-known Boğaziçi University. She'll stay for one more week and then return home -- by train, to make the changeover a bit smoother.

In İstanbul, Janna found exactly what she was searching for: A lot of new insights and experiences into another culture and language. “I absolutely loved my time here. Turks are very nice, and the vivid atmosphere in the streets is unique,” she sums up. She recommends İstanbul to other Erasmus students, especially because “one finds a lot of new challenges here, but there is never a danger to fall into culture shock or something like that.”

Like most Europeans, Janna spoke no Turkish before coming here. How did she cope with the language? “It was fun, but learning it was a really difficult undertaking,” she states. She took part in an obligatory language course, which every Erasmus university has to offer to its foreign students. “I didn't find the course to be high quality, specifically because it was hardly possible to communicate with the teacher in English in the event of problems or questions.” She ended up buying a do-it-yourself language-learning book and was “kind of successful,” she said, laughing.

Others, like Leo, who hails from Italy, opted to go to an official language school instead. “It was very useful, but unfortunately quite expensive,” he says. Leo paid a good 380 euros for a two-month course, with lessons three times a week, at the DİLMER language center. “In the end, I guess, most Erasmus students end up with just a basic knowledge of Turkish. However, for me it's not only a matter of surviving to get into the language, it's also a respectful gesture to our host country,” he says.

Apart from the language issue, what do the students say about their universities' programs? How was the studying itself? “Well, I think Erasmus is actually the best opportunity to look beyond your own chosen department,” Janna says. Used to studying social sciences in Germany, she now had the opportunity to take a look at many neighboring disciplines, such as literature and city planning.

The Erasmus program guarantees that the period spent abroad is recognized by the home university when the students come back, as long as they abide by terms previously agreed upon. “That is definitely an advantage, so no hassle with bureaucracy,” she says, adding that cooperation between her home and partner universities was very professional.

However, in terms of everyday life, there are of course many things left to the students themselves to take care of. These include finding an apartment, which can be a challenge. Applying for a place in a dormitory is comparatively easy for foreign students. These things are often already prearranged by the universities' international student offices. The advantage is that things are furnished, and it is fairly easy to meet people. Julie, a French national who for the last few months studied medicine at İstanbul University, opted for that solution and only paid TL 250 for her room. “It was cheap, so I can't complain. Though I have to admit it was simply too crowded. People were sleeping in the living room and in the end I even had to share my bed,” she says, recounting the ups and downs of her experience.

Another disadvantage for many students is the strict rules dormitories enforce, including no late nights out or extended visits by friends late at night -- especially if these friends are of the opposite sex. Thus, most Erasmus students end up renting their own apartment in the city, with room rates ranging up to a hefty 400 euros per month.

In order to reduce such expenses, however, students may use the European Commission-supported accommodation network CasaSwap (www.casaswap.com), a free Web site where students and young people can rent, sublet, offer and swap accommodation -- on a national and international basis. A derived benefit is that students can share knowledge, tips and hints with each other before and after going abroad.

Last but not least, Erasmus students also receive a small amount of financial support. The program's annual budget is in excess of 440 million euros. Thus, apart from the fact that Erasmus students generally do not pay extra tuition fees to the university where they study abroad, grants of about 150 euros per month help cover extra costs of living abroad. Additional funds, however, can be raised by countries, municipalities, public institutions and foundations -- as well as the private sector.