Turkish higher education innovator speaks at ASU

Arizona State University will host Kemal Gürüz, former president of the Turkish Higher Education Council, from 1:30 to 3 p.m., April 19, in the Memorial Union Pima Room 230 at the Tempe campus.  Gürüz, a widely recognized expert on international higher education and student mobility, will speak about “Higher Education in the Global Knowledge Economy of Today.”

As president of the Higher Education Council from 1995 to 2003, Gürüz contributed greatly to internationalize Turkish higher education. Among other efforts, he created a joint program with the State University of New York (SUNY) that allowed Turkish students to pursue collaborative degree programs in Turkish universities and at SUNY. He spent a year at Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard and SUNY. In 2004, he was awarded the first Chancellor John W. Ryan Fellowship in International Education by SUNY.

Gürüz released a book titled Higher Education and International Student Mobility in the Global Knowledge Economy in 2008.

“Turkey is addressing ways of transforming its existing model of higher education using the principles of the New American University,” says Gary Grossman, associate professor of global technology and development in the School of Letters and Sciences at ASU. 

“Dr. Gürüz wants to witness ASU’s improvements firsthand and share his ideas in an environment where they will be understood,” says Grossman, who was awarded two Fulbright Grants to teach and conduct research in Ankara, Turkey from 2002-2004.

The face of higher education in Turkey has already changed significantly with such reforms as the introduction of private universities in 1981 and increases in university research. Turkish graduates today are competitive in graduate programs worldwide.

The event on April 19 is free to the public, and those with an interest in higher education policy, reform, administration and international policy are encouraged to attend.

The event is sponsored by the School of Letters and Sciences and Global Technology and Development. Please contact Gary Grossman at Gary.Grossman@asu.edu or (480) 727-9533 for more information.

Media contact:
Chris Lambrakis

(480)727-1173
lambrakis@asu.edu