Our University Strengthens International Collaborations at the 5th Congress of Turkish-Arab University Rectors

Our Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Sedat Aktan and Asst. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Başer, Head of the International Office attended the 5th Congress of Turkish-Arab University Rectors, held in Tunisia on October 10–11, 2025.

The congress was hosted by University of Tunis El Manar and, the theme was “Transformation of Higher Education through Leadership, Innovation, and Regional Integration”. More than one hundred rectors from across the Turkish and Arab universities attended the Congress, providing an important platform for establishing new partnerships in higher education.

Throughout the two-day program, sessions focused on topics such as leadership, digitalization, sustainability, internationalization, and innovative university ecosystems.

At the opening ceremony, speeches were delivered by Mondher Belaid, Tunisian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education of Türkiye (CoHE), Ahmet Misbah Demircan, Ambassador of Türkiye to Tunisia, Prof. Dr. Abdelmajid Ben Amara, President of the Arab Council for Scientific Research, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Aydın, President of the Eurasian Universities Union (EURAS), Prof. Dr. Amr Ezzat Salama, Secretary-General of the Association of Arab Universities, and Prof. Dr. Moez Chafra, Rector of University of Tunis El Manar.

Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, President of CoHE Türkiye, began his speech by expressing his satisfaction with the ceasefire declared in Gaza and stated:

“We strongly condemn the oppression and genocide that Israel has inflicted upon the Palestinian people for more than two years. We firmly believe that our Muslim brothers and sisters in Gaza will attain their freedom one day. As Turkish nation, we will continue to stand with our Palestinian brothers and sisters, just as we have always done. We attach great importance to consultation; therefore, we are attending this congress with a large delegation from Türkiye. I hope this meeting will lead to deeper and more productive collaborations between Turkish and Arab universities.”

Ahmet Misbah Demircan, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Tunisia, emphasized the importance of international solidarity in higher education and stated:

“This congress brings together more than a hundred university rectors and offers a great opportunity for cooperation in higher education. Today, partnerships are more valuable than ever because shaping the future requires collective effort. Universities provide the most suitable environment for this cooperation. Let us remember: the future is not built alone; it belongs to those who build it together.”

Dr. Derviş Mustafaoğlu, representative of the Islamic University of Gaza, underlined the significance of the collaboration between Arab universities and their Turkish and international counterparts for sustaining higher education in Gaza. Dr. Mustafaoğlu stated:

“There is a greater need than ever for solidarity to ensure the continuation of education in Gaza. Today, many academics around the world records lecture videos to reach students in Gaza. Thanks to these efforts, higher education in the region continues despite all the difficulties.”
He also highlighted Türkiye’s contributions to the region and expressed his gratitude to Turkish people.

Kırıkkale University signed Memoranda of Understanding with seven distinguished universities from five different Arab countries. These include University of Tunis El Manar and Sousse University from Tunisia, Beirut Arab University from Lebanon, Zarqa University from Jordan, Palestine Ahliya University and Islamic University of Gaza from Palestine, and Zawia University from Libya.

These cooperation agreements include student and staff exchanges, joint research projects, seminars and workshops, joint graduate programs, and collaborative article writing.

Our university aims to strengthen its internationalization vision and deepen its networks with universities across the Arab World thanks to the MoUs signed on the Congress of the 5th Turkish-Arab University Rectors.