Sivas University of Science and Technology (SBTU) was established in 2019 in the Central Anatolian city of Sivas, Turkey. The objective of SBTU is to offer high-quality education, research, and innovation in advanced technologies including engineering, space science, aviation, and agriculture to meet the demand of Turkey and the region. Keeping in view, SBTU is hiring dynamic and innovative researchers to conduct state-of-the-art research activities in collaboration with well-known national/international universities and research institutes.
Currently, SBTU has about 70 academic staff and more than 100 graduate (Masters and Ph.D.) students studying and conducting research in several disciplines of advanced engineering technologies and agricultural sciences. The students have the opportunity and are being encouraged to select their co-supervisors from well-known universities and/or relevant industries in Turkey. SBTU is starting undergraduate programs in the academic year of 2022-2023, planning to develop strong relationships and bonding with students to guide them towards a bright future with a special focus on the development of innovation skills. The language in education will be English following the aim of enhancing the number and diversity of international students.
In terms of the Erasmus+ participation policy, SBTU plans to primarily focus on the “learning mobility of individuals (KA1)”. Erasmus+ “Key Action 1” is a great opportunity for all participants to gain more cultural exchange through staff and student mobility. The development in education will progress by diversity and setting up academic partnerships with qualified universities. This will help to improve internationalisation and modernization, as well as the quality of education which are among our main objectives described in SBTU strategic plan 2022-2026. (Annex1) SBTU is working on different educational and social projects and activities for incoming and outgoing students to improve their ability and experience of traveling and living abroad. Some of the initiatives include International Students Club and the potential to provide mentoring in several languages such as German, French, etc., in addition to the English language. Besides, Erasmus participants will join the plantation program in the campus area that has been designed in accordance with an eco-friendly environment. The students and staff who will come to our university from other European countries, on the other hand, will enhance our inspiration, cultural awareness and open-mindedness as well as knowledge in new subjects. Moreover, since the university campus is located near to Sivas Sports Complex the incoming mobility students and staff will be able to enjoy International and National Football matches and participate in other sports activities. Sivas, with around 359.000 inhabitants, is a city with easy access from all over Turkey and abroad by efficient transport systems including high-speed train, ground and air transportation network.
SBTU aims to select the staff, students, and award grants related to Erasmus+ program with a fair, transparent, coherent, and documented approach. Moreover, SBTU ensures such fair and transparent procedures throughout all stages of mobility and in the process of responding to queries/complaints from mobile students/staff. SBTU have measures in place to ensure that all individuals and groups will be treated equally and equitably, guaranteeing no discrimination based on “sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age, and sexual orientation". Moreover, SBTU actively promote abroad mobility program to people with fewer opportunities because of either economic, social, cultural, geographical, or health/disability reasons.
SBTU would also like to participate in “Key Action 2” of the Erasmus+ program, focusing on cooperation with international universities and institutions on research and innovation projects. SBTU is aware that the collaborative international projects will provide a high national and international reputation for both parties and will increase the motivation of students and staff to develop new academic and professional skills. These qualifications will reflect on our institution’s scope of consistent contribution to global improvement in science and technology. Moreover, collaboration with European research institutes and universities will lead to an increase in multidisciplinary engineering as well as socio-economic activities.
In terms of implementation of “Key Action 2” activities on the SBTU side, the cooperative projects will be supported and promoted by all measures available in our university resources to ensure the envisaged scientific and operational outcomes of the cooperation. In the long term, SBTU staff will be furnished with career development opportunities and SBTU will enhance its reputation and international standing, following a successful implementation of “Key Action 2”.
A scientific collaboration agreement has been already signed between the Leibniz Solid State and Materials Research Institute Dresden and SBTU. More to come in near future.
Strategy, objectives and impactSBTU trusts the values of human race (i.e. tolerance and understanding, non-discrimination, equality, transparency and inclusion). Internationalization and modernization are among the main strategies of the university. Overall vision and mission of STBU is established based on these strategies which could be achieved through international activities and mobility offered by Erasmus+ Programs. To set an intercultural bridge, dialog and mutual understanding, establishing internationalization and modernization is one of the most important steps. Our main strategy is to penetrate the international researches and studies by offering interdisciplinary master and doctorate program in advanced technology for international students. SBTU has no undergraduate students yet. Currently, SBTU has two master and two doctoral interdisciplinary programs in the field of advanced technology. In the following period, SBTU will focus on increasing number and quality of graduate programs and will activate undergraduate programs in 2022.Thus, SBTU plans to acquire a research and development university identity in the national and international stage. Besides, School of Foreign Languages was founded primarily to provide mandatory English prep class as well as to be supportive for other major languages. SBTU aims to increase the attainment level to contribute in educating graduates and researchers who will promote progress in European Educational Area. SBTU encourages the students and the staff for the international mobility to become an international university recognized by the major academic circle and attain high quality in our studies. SBTU will support equal and equitable access and opportunities to participants, by paying attention to the inclusion of those with fewer opportunities, and recognition of all credits based on the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS).
Although SBTU is a young university, SBTU mobilizes local and national resources to recruit idealist scientists who have had academic careers in successful universities at national and international level. SBTU has already made a name for itself at the national level with the graduate programs and research-development projects. It is one of our important goals to carry out such practices, which are appreciated at national level in the name of quality higher education, to a higher level with international partners. Especially, Erasmus+ programs are of special importance for the realization of this policy.
Universities are expected and should be pioneers in every field. Internationalization policy and international cooperation are of vital importance for our university to keep up with this development theoretically, to benefit from international experience and to play a leading role in its region and the society it lives in. For this reason, our first strategic plan covering the 2022-2026 period has been presented to the relevant institutions and internationalization policy emerges as one of the important issues in the plan.
In our graduate programs, the program description for the course catalogue, program outcomes, teaching plans and course outcomes have been published on the SBTU web page. With the preparation of the catalogue, the programs, courses taught and course contents, etc., all information is made available in a transparent manner. Our credit system has been harmonized with the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and a grading system has been introduced to be valid nationally and internationally. To support international students to benefit from Blended Mobility opportunities, the distance education infrastructure has been designed and developed in accordance with international standards. In this context, it is ensured that the course materials are accessible in digital media in English. Thanks to this blended education model, students will be able to have employment opportunities at the international platform. Keeping the ratio of international students high at all levels of higher education, which is one of the important indicators of internationalization policy, is one of our main goals. In this context, the International Student Admission Directive regarding the admission of international students at the graduate level to the Graduate Education Institute is already in place.
Erasmus Office has set support desks for international students. A sufficient number of academic, administrative and support personnel have been appointed to follow the procedures, established to coordinate these activities throughout the university. A team has been formed to support international and exchange students in Eastern languages, Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Azerbaijani and Korean, as well as Western languages English, French, German, Dutch and Bosnian.
Establishment of Erasmus Student Network (ESN) has started to operate in the Spring 2021. Plans have been made to provide support to incoming and outgoing students and staff within the scope of exchange programs. Social responsibility projects are produced especially in order to support the disadvantaged groups of the society, and incentive activities are carried out to establish social support groups and spread them to the society.
SBTU, which applies an education model based on active University-Industry cooperation with the sector, establishes training, production and design centers to train personnel in the fields needed by the region and the country for future professions, and have the necessary up-to-date skills depending on the developments in their field and efforts are being made to ensure that it has sustainable mechanisms.
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