San Diego’s oldest and largest university is ready to embark on a student exchange program with one of the world’s mega universities.
Following a recent presidential order to increase the number and diversity of American students abroad, San Diego State and Anadolu University, in Eskisehir, Turkey, entered into a student exchange agreement in April.
The agreement between the two schools would benefit students a world apart, said Stephen L. Weber, SDSU president.
“Anadolu University is very similar to SDSU as it is one of the largest universities in Turkey with approximately 30,000 students,” Weber said. “We can exchange a wealth of ideas that will benefit both universities and their students.”
SDSU professor Mark Siprut initiated the deal after serving as a visiting professor at the Turkish university in 1995. He said the agreement would be implemented step by step.
“The exchange agreement is being initiated between faculty teaching in the graphic design areas at both institutions, but will be campus-wide with students and faculty in all disciplines being able to participate,” Siprut said.
SDSU spokesman Jack Beresford said the two universities are involved in promoting the exchange concept, and collaborative educational projects are being developed.
Beresford said the first group of students are expected to participate in the spring 2001 semester, and faculty from Turkey are being lined up to teach at SDSU next summer and fall.
“The earliest students could exchange places is in the spring, primarily because they don’t know about it yet,” Beresford said.
SDSU was founded in 1897 as a teachers college. It has since grown to more than 30,000 students and offers bachelor’s degrees in 76 areas, master’s degrees in 58 areas and doctorates in 11.
In all, Anadolu University has 12 department faculties, three distance learning centers, nine colleges, one state conservatory, nine institutes and 16 research centers. It has one of the largest distance education programs in the world, with approximately 600,000 students enrolled.
