During his visit in Ankara, Turkey, McRobbie met with Ahmet Acar, METU’s president, according to a University press release. McRobbie and Acar held a meeting along with 15 METU administrators and faculty.
METU departments in economics, engineering, education, physical education and sports and computer and instructional technology were all represented at the meeting, according to the University.
“Providing Indiana University students and faculty with increased opportunities to study and work overseas, especially in such culturally and historically significant countries as Turkey, is of paramount importance to IU,” McRobbie said in the release.
He also toured Turkey’s oldest, largest and innovating science and technology park.
METU was established in 1956 and currently holds more than 24,000 students.
Most of the university’s departments only take the top 1 percent of the applicants that take Turkey’s National University Entrance Examination, according to the IU.
About 1.5 million people take the national university entrance exam.
“We are delighted to formalize our partnership with such a pre-eminent institution as Middle East Technical University and to explore new exchanges and research collaborations that will greatly serve the needs of both institutions and build upon IU’s longstanding engagement in this vital economic and political part of the world,” McRobbie said.
After the partnership agreement was signed, collaboration options were discussed in the areas of business, education and social and physical sciences, according to the University.
Friday, McRobbie is set to visit Ankara University, another one of IU’s partner universities.
AU is partners with the Turkish Flagship Program, which is the only federally funded program in the Ankara area, according to the University.
This trip is a sitting IU president’s first trip to Turkey since 1955.
Kathrine Schulze
