Speaking at the opening of the event, Senanur Sezer, President of the Erasmus Community, emphasised that the programme is not only a cultural promotion event, but also a meaningful sharing environment where languages, rhythms, colours and tastes meet and said, “Today, we will not only get to know different countries here; we will also witness a cultural step of understanding and brotherhood. Because we believe that as we recognise our differences, our similarities multiply, distances become closer and friendships become stronger. We would like to thank our project stakeholders, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Management of our University, the Two East Two West Association, the Folk Dance Ensemble and everyone who contributed to this project.”

Community advisor, our University's Erasmus Deputy Coordinator Dr. Saadet Zafer Kavacık noted that such cultural sharing environments are an indication that universities undertake an important mission not only in terms of academic but also in terms of social and cultural development, and said, “The fact that our students from different countries both introduce their own cultures and experience the local culture closely reinforces the sense of belonging. Cultural interactions ensure that prejudices are replaced by understanding and friendship. Such events are also extremely valuable in terms of making the international identity and multicultural structure of our university visible.”

Within the scope of the programme, students from countries such as Kosovo, Nigeria, Indonesia, Malaysia, East Turkestan, Mauritania, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Croatia, Bangladesh, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, Turkmenistan, Iraq and Azerbaijan introduced their cultures through poetry recitals, music, dance and traditional presentations.

In the event, which also included Türkiye’s cultural values, folk dances, baglama recital, country flavours and raw meatballs were also presented.

Our University's External Relations General Coordinator Prof. Dr. Fırat Yaldız and Erasmus Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özdal Koyuncuoğlu also visited the stands and spoke with the students.

The event, which brought together different cultures and provided a platform for sharing, ended with a special stage performance called ‘Parla’ by the Erasmus Community management team.

Our University attracts attention with its internationalisation efforts in recent years, while the diversity of international students at the university is increasing as a result of our Rector Prof. Dr. Cem Zorlu’s visits and cooperation agreements with universities and educational institutions in different countries. Campus life, which is enriched with students from different continents, both encourages cultural cohesion and contributes to the global vision of the university with such events.