The 1st International Symposium on Turkish Language Teaching and Turcology in the Balkans was held on September 7-9, 2022, at the University of New York, which has been owned by the Turkish Maarif Foundation since 2018. Academicians and researchers from Turkey, Albania, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Croatia, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan participated in the symposium. A total of 45 papers were presented at the symposium. UNYT Press published the Proceedings of the Symposium in April 2023.
The 2nd International Symposium was hosted by Istanbul University with the theme of “Cultural Interaction” between 13-15 December 2023 with the contributions of TIKA, in cooperation with the Turkish Maarif Foundation, the University of New York’s Balkan Studies Centre, Istanbul University’s Institute of Turkic Studies and Turkish Language Association. In total, 53 papers from 12 different countries were accepted by the scientific committee to be presented at the Symposium. On the first day of the symposium, a special session on Turkish Literature in the Balkans from Past to Present, the first panel on “Cultural Interaction from Anatolia to the Balkans,” the second panel on “Cultural Interaction in Language and Literature,” and 14 different paper sessions were held.
The 3rd International Symposium on Turkish Language Teaching and Turcology in the Balkans will be held in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 13-15 November 2024 with the theme of “City, Culture, and Civilization: Balkans” in cooperation with the Balkan Research Centre of the University of New York Tirana owned by the Turkish Maarif Foundation and International Sarajevo University. The symposium aims to address all the elements that play a role in the construction of city culture and civilization, from architecture to music, from language and literature to social and cultural life, and from foundation culture to arts within the context of the Balkan cities.
Organizing Institutions
The Turkish Maarif Foundation
The University of New York Tirana (UNYT)
The Balkan Research Centre
International Sarajevo University (IUS)
About the organizers
The Turkish Maarif Foundation
Established on 17.06.2016 with Law No. 6721, the Turkish Maarif Foundation is the only organization other than the Ministry of National Education with the authority to directly open educational institutions abroad on behalf of the Republic of Turkey. The Foundation currently operates in 67 countries and conducts educational activities in 52 countries. Around 53,00 students are studying in 467 different educational institutions operating under the Foundation. The Foundation is authorized by the Law to develop educational methods and procedures and content and curriculum, to conduct scientific research and development studies, support these studies, publish periodical and non-periodical publications, organize symposiums, conferences, and workshops within this framework, and cooperate with institutions and organizations operating in this field.
The University of New York Tirana
Founded in 2002 as the first English-medium private university in Albania, the University of New York University (UNYT) has been a part of the Turkish Maarif Foundation since 2018. UNYT offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in 32 study programs under 3 faculties: the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, the Faculty of Economics and Business, and the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences.
The Balkan Research Centre
UNYT’s Balkan Research Centre under the Institute of European and Balkan Studies aims to strengthen the old friendships and historical and cultural ties between the Balkan countries and Türkiye and implement Turkish-Balkan projects of common interest. The Centre seeks to organize international symposiums and scientific conferences in these fields and support academic studies and research conducted by academics and students from Türkiye and the Balkan countries.
International University of Sarajevo (IUS)
The International University of Sarajevo (IUS), a bridge between Turkiye and the Balkans, is a foundation university established by the Foundation for Education Development Sarajevo (SEDEF) in 2003. In 2004, it opened the English Language School (English Preparatory Program), and in the 2005-2006 academic year, it launched its undergraduate programs and gave its first graduates in 2009.
Distinguished faculty members and lecturers from various countries, such as the USA, the UK, Germany, Austria, France, and especially Turkiye and Bosnia and Herzegovina, teach and conduct research at IUS. Students from four continents and 25 countries continue their education at IUS in unity, peace, and fruitful collaboration.
The university aims to equip its students from diverse cultural backgrounds with world-class knowledge by providing high-quality education and contributing to science through research activities. The vision of the university is to become a regionally and globally recognized and respected educational institution. IUS has established collaborations with various international universities and research centres and conducts joint research projects. It actively participates in international student exchange programs such as the Erasmus+ program.
IUS graduates have successful careers in various sectors and international companies. IUS’s strong academic programs and international connections enable its graduates to be competitive in the global job market. The International University of Sarajevo is one of the leading educational institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, with its high-quality education, international student body, and qualified academic staff.
The International University of Sarajevo (IUS), a bridge between Turkiye and the Balkans, is a foundation university established by the Foundation for Education Development Sarajevo (SEDEF) in 2003. In 2004, it opened the English Language School (English Preparatory Program), and in the 2005-2006 academic year, it launched its undergraduate programs and gave its first graduates in 2009.
Distinguished faculty members and lecturers from various countries, such as the USA, the UK, Germany, Austria, France, and especially Turkiye and Bosnia and Herzegovina, teach and conduct research at IUS. Students from four continents and 25 countries continue their education at IUS in unity, peace, and fruitful collaboration.
The university’s primary goal is to equip its students from diverse cultural backgrounds with world-class knowledge by providing high-quality education and contributing to science through research activities. The vision of the university is to become a regionally and globally recognised and respected educational institution. IUS has established collaborations with various international universities and research centres and conducts joint research projects. It actively participates in international student exchange programs such as the Erasmus+ program.
IUS graduates have successful careers in various sectors and international companies. IUS’s strong academic programs and international connections enable its graduates to be competitive in the global job market. The International University of Sarajevo is one of the leading educational institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, with its high-quality education, international student body, and qualified academic staff.
