First online university to be set up in Ankara

Gazi University Rector Süleyman Büyükberber

Three universities in the capital city of Ankara join forces to form the country’s very first virtual university. However, some clasess, like medicine or denstistry labs, will be held at physical classes.

Three Ankara-based universities are preparing to establish the International United Ankara University (IUAU), which will be Turkey’s first ‘semi-virtual’ university.

Gazi, Ankara and Hacettepe universities agreed to establish the IUAU nearly six months ago, and their target is to start its education term by September 2013.

The IUAU will not have its own campus, facilities or academic personnel; instead, it will use the facilities, academics, laboratories, classrooms and clinics of Gazi, Ankara and Hacettepe universities when needed. Academics of the three universities will give lectures at the “virtual faculty” over the Internet.

The IUAU will have 50 percent Turkish and 50 percent foreign students, and the education language will be English. The institution will be a state university, but it will not have its own budget.

Doctorate programs

There will be medicine, pharmaceutics, dentistry, health sciences, agriculture, veterinary medicine, engineering, architecture, science, translation and education faculties at the IUAU. Students who graduate will earn diploma rights from the three universities. The university will also offer masters and doctorate programs. Ankara University Rector Erkan İbiş said modern technology will be actively used.

“We attach great importance to the issue of internationalization at the University of Ankara. In this context, we are trying to develop projects that will increase our reputation. The idea came up when three universities decided to join forces,” İbiş told the Hürriyet Daily News in a written statement. The collaboration will come into effect after the completion of legal arrangements, İbiş said.

Gazi University Rector Süleyman Büyükberber said such a university will be a first in Turkey, according to an Anatolia news agency report. Büyükberber said Turkey lacks 30,000 doctors and this need must be met before 2023.