10th International Erasmus+ Staff Week on Sustainability Hosted by Karadeniz Technical University
The “10th International Erasmus+ Staff Week on Sustainability,” hosted and organized by Karadeniz Technical University's Office of Exchange Programmes, took place between May 11 and 15, 2026. Attended by 23 representatives from 19 different universities across 9 countries, the event featured presentations introducing Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) and the city of Trabzon to the visiting institutional representatives.
Held within the scope of the Erasmus+ Programme, the event provided a platform for essential discussions to establish new bilateral agreements, while significantly contributing to KTU's international visibility. This edition of the event was specifically designed around the theme of sustainability and planned to directly enhance KTU's standing in international rankings.
On May 11, 2026, the opening remarks of the event were delivered by Prof. Dr. Ali TEMİZ, Vice Rector Responsible for International Relations, and Prof. Dr. Sercan EROL, General Coordinator for International Relations. The opening session included presentations showcasing KTU alongside the history, culture, local delicacies of Trabzon, as well as Turkish culture and language.
As part of the event on May 12, 2026, representatives from the participating universities delivered presentations introducing their own institutions and countries. In the afternoon of the same day, a mini-fair themed "Participants' Exhibition" was organized in front of KTU's Faculty of Science, where participant universities showcased their countries, institutions, and local flavors. The exhibition drew great interest from the staff and students of KTU.
On May 13, 2026, excursions were organized to the historical and cultural landmarks of Trabzon. Within this scope, visits were made to Ataturk Pavilion, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent Ottoman Culture House, Girls' Monastery, Boztepe Observation Terrace, and Sumela Monastery.
On May 14, 2026, the team members of KTU Office of Exchange Programmes delivered introductory presentations to the participants regarding "Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP)" and "Erasmus+ Youth Exchanges." Additionally, Assist. Prof. Dr. Yucel BULUT, Deputy Coordinator of the Internationalisation Coordinatorship operating under the General Coordinatorship for International Relations of KTU, gave a presentation titled "Internationalisation at KTU." Following these sessions, presentations were held to share the Erasmus+ experiences of previous exchange students and to introduce the ESN Trabzon Student Club. Furthermore, Angelika Paredes from France and Mateen Mustafa from Italy, who are currently pursuing their Erasmus+ internships at KTU Office of Exchange Programmes, delivered presentations sharing their Erasmus+ experiences at KTU. On the same day, a joint visit was done to KTU's Earthquake and Structural Health Application and Research Center along with the Wildlife Museum together with the representatives of the participating higher education institutions.
On May 15, 2026, a hands-on workshop on the traditional art of Marbling (Ebru) was conducted at the General Coordinatorship for International Relations building by Marbling Artist and Instructor Songül KARTAL as a social activity. At the end of the workshop, participants kept their own marbling artworks as souvenirs. On the same day, a campus tour was organized covering KTU's social and sports facilities. Following the tour, a visit was done to the Rectorate Building. The participants were welcomed by the Rector of KTU, Prof. Dr. Hamdullah CUVALCI. The visit concluded after a commemorative group photo session.
During the closing ceremony of the event, certificates of participation were presented to the attendees by Prof. Dr. Ali TEMİZ, Vice Rector Responsible for International Relations; Prof. Dr. Sercan EROL, General Coordinator for International Relations; Asst. Prof. Dr. Yucel BULUT, Deputy Coordinator of the Internationalisation Coordinatorship; and the Office of Exchange Programmes team members.
PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES
PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITIES
PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT
20 May 2026
KTU delegation attended sessions focused on EUA?s priority topics, such as the future of higher education, digital transformation, green campus initiatives and research strategies.
17 April 2026
Maria will gain practical experience in genetic research and molecular studies in the department's modern laboratories throughout her training period until June 12, 2026
08 April 2026
While finding the opportunity to improve her professional skills with the modern research facilities of the Center, Marya Kreschan will also contribute to KTU's global research network.
07 April 2026
David Malkhazov from the University of Lorraine in France and Spiro Cizmic from the University of Split in Croatia have chosen Karadeniz Technical University for their internships.
06 April 2026
Having commenced her duties as of April 1, 2026, Mateen Mustafa will contribute to our university's international mobility processes and office operations during her internship period.
03 April 2026
Paredes will intern at the KTU Office of Exchange Programmes from April 1 to June 15, 2026. During this process, she will contribute to the university's international operations.
31 March 2026
During the expo, academic cooperation opportunities were negotiated with representatives from various countries, primarily China, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, India and Indonesia.
02 March 2026
Aidin from the University of Verona in Italy, visited the Office of Exchange Programmes before starting his traineeship at the Department of International Relations.
23 February 2026
Dion is the third student to join our university under the Erasmus+ KA171 project which enables student exchanges with partner countries outside of Europe.
19 February 2026
Javeria is the second student to arrive at our university within the framework of the Erasmus+ KA171 project which facilitates exchanges with non-European partner countries.
18 February 2026
Sarra Saidani, an Erasmus+ student from the Higher Institute of Technological Studies of Rades in Tunisia, visited our university's Office of Exchange Programmes.
06 February 2026
Tytus Rybicki, an Erasmus+ student from the Angelus Silesius University of Applied Sciences in Poland, visited our university's Office of Exchange Programmes.
02 February 2026
As a part of his programme, Dr. Bakota also visited the Office of Exchange Programmes to exchange information regarding international cooperation.
19 December 2025
Nohzah published her opinion about the event as an article on the digital magazine of her home university. We would like to thank Nohzah for her participation.
05 December 2025
