International Balkan University (IBU) Rector. Dr. Lütfi Sunar stated that the establishment of the universities is to strengthen the historical, cultural and social ties between Turkey and the Balkans. he said.
Founded in 2006 under the leadership of Turkish and Macedonian entrepreneurs and philanthropists in Skopje, the capital of Northern Macedonia, IBU hosts students from more than 30 countries with 9 faculties, 27 episodes and 29 undergraduate programs.
Prof. Dr. Lütfi Sunar, AA correspondent, the university’s opportunities, vision and recent allegations on the agenda made evaluations.
Sunar said that IBU provides a wide range of education from dentistry to engineering, art design to law, and said that they offer international standards with laboratories, dental clinic, art and design and television studios and technical infrastructure opportunities in 50 thousand square meters of campuses.
Sunar, “The establishment of our university, the establishment of the historical, cultural and social ties between Türkiye and the Balkans. To date, more than 50 students have been educated. Currently, an important part of the students are international students.” He said.
Academic Achievements and International Projects
Sunar emphasized that the university has achieved significant successes in the academic field, “According to Shanghai criteria, our university is the best university in Northern Macedonia. We are running more than 30 projects from the European Union (EU) funds. he said.
Ibu’nun not only in Turkey, but also over 400 active cooperation agreements with over 400 universities in the world, Sunar told them that an important university from the UK came to them with the offer of opening a common department in recent weeks.
Sunar emphasized that there are strong historical and cultural ties between Türkiye and the Balkans and that the university is a very important institution in terms of Türkiye’s vision in the Balkans.
Türkiye and the Balkans are not only a historical bond Sunar, said:
“These are not only the ties that exist in the past. Today, many people of Balkan origin live in our country. Kinship relations are very serious. Therefore, the International Balkan University is also strategically important in terms of establishing and developing the connections between Northern Macedonia and the Balkans and Turkey.
Legal Audit and Transparency Policy
Sunar explained that the university operates subject to the laws of Northern Macedonia and that they are supervised by the relevant ministries and international institutions every year and that annual activity reports and academic performance reports are published transparently through their websites.
Sunar, the high number of Turkish students in the university has a strategic importance, he said.
Sunar stated that all international universities have their own criteria in the acceptance point and continued:
“Universities in Türkiye also accept international students in the form of students without examination. This is the case all over the world. On the other hand, the International Balkan University, in Türkiye by the Council of Higher Education in the examination guide, a university included in the central placement system. So after entering the university exam in Türkiye, the international Balkan university can come to the international Balkan University.
“In order for YÖK to equalize the diploma, the student must graduate from there”
Referring to the allegations of “Fake Diploma”, which has been on the agenda recently, Sunar said that although this issue is not an interlocutor in any way, they have become the target of the conscious smear campaign.
Sunar records that the diplomas given by the university can be verified through the online system. He said.
Sunar, YÖK’un universities or departments, not the equivalence of diplomas, noting that, “International Balkan University, a faculty that is not existing in the claim that the alleged equivalence is absurd. Because YÖK should be graduated from there. The opening conditions are determined by Northern Macedonian authorities. evaluated.
There is a necessity to attend classes and residence
Sunar emphasized that IBU has 70 percent in general and 80 percent in health programs.
Sunar stated that the exception of this situation was the process of KOVİD-19 PANDEM, which influenced the whole world, and that the state’s decision in Türkiye due to travel restrictions during the Pandememi process between 2020-2021 continued their education in Türkiye.
Sunar, after the PANDEM, this application ended, said: “Now, when we look back in this process in Türkiye as if only the students of the international Balkan University students are only for students. But at that time, students from all over the world came to Türkiye and continued their education here.” he said.
“40 percent of our students from Türkiye”
Sunar stated that there were around 3 thousand 800 active students in the university as of this year and said:
“40 percent of our students from Türkiye, 40-45 percent from Northern Macedonia, the rest is from different countries. This variety is a natural result of the special mission of our university. Northern Macedonia, EU candidate. We will be the EU University in a few years. They have to compete. “
