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EUROPEAN POLICY STATEMENT (EPS)

Celal Bayar University (CBU) is currently ranked in the top three Turkish universities located in the western part of Turkey in terms of teaching and research.  CBU is a relatively new university, founded in 1992.  However, it is dynamic and eager to develop itself both domestically and internationally. There are 23.000 students and 27 academic programs. The university is competitive in International Trade Department (30% of the program is in English mostly marketing, economics, and business courses.
CBU's Erasmus strategies are: To support and ensure high quality of study and mobility of students and staff. To provide equal opportunities to individuals and establish readable and comparable degrees. To promote objectivity and transparency and give visibility to the Erasmus activities with supporting convergence at European higher education system.
CBU's Erasmus objectives are: To ensure successful bilateral agreements for the period of 2007-2013. To take an active role in the Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP). To improve common academic credit transfer system. To develop multilateral projects and thematic networks. To involve in student placement activities.
The University's Erasmus priorities are: To provide high quality of study abroad opportunities for all undergraduate and graduate students gradually under the LLP. To accept incoming students and staff.
These goals will be evaluated annually to make sure that the University is providing students and staff with necessary skills and opportunities to be a part of the LLP. 
 
The LLP Division: According to the national regulations, all universities shall create and ensure high quality of study, comparable degrees, objective criteria of measurement of performances and equal opportunities to all students who enrolled in the universities. CBU is one of the universities that implement the regulations precisely. As a matter of fact the University has the potential and a strong desire to share its experience with other universities in Europe. The LLP will give a great opportunity to do that. In fact, the University has created a new division under its International Office, The LLP Division. The division's mission is to give visibility and provide transparency to the LLP and play a disseminator role between CBU and other higher education institutions and enterprises in Europe. The division will be supported by at least two academics and 3 full-time staff.

The Scientific Projects Committee for the LLP: The University considers itself very strong in the areas of Economics, Business Administration, Arts and Sciences Programs, Applied Sciences (particularly International Trade), Engineering, and Medicine. CBU has potential and preparation of developing high quality of student-staff mobility programs and conducting internationally influential research projects in these areas. CBU has constituted a Scientific Projects Committee to conduct such projects. The committee is hoping to work and collaborate with other universities all around Europe under the LLP. It's believed that student and staff mobility will improve the quality of the projects and teaching-research programs. 
In order to ensure high quality of student and staff mobility, the University adapted ECTS and DS to its system.

School of Applied Sciences has been selected as a coordination center for the LLP.  The School's curriculum, that is adapted to ECTS, requires that at least 30 percent of all courses be taken in English. 

CBU has been working closely with the Higher Education Institution, so that a DS have been designed according to the integrations of programs. 

School of Applied Sciences and College of Business Administration and Economics are ready to benefit from academics abroad.  School of Applied Sciences, since its curriculum requires 30 percent of courses taken in English, is ready to be a part of student and staff mobility.  The students will be able to take following courses:   

Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Principles of Marketing, Introduction to Business, International Marketing, International Business, Purchasing Management, International Sales Management, Strategic Management, Commercial Communication, Developing Writing and Speaking Skills, Business English-I (Introduction to Business), Business English-II (International Finance), and Business English-III (Business Law).

CBU has developed mandatory English language preparation courses (one year) for students who are accepted to the College of Business Administration and Economics and School of Applied Sciences. 

Although CBU is in the infant period, it has a reasonable number of academic staff that had their higher education abroad and that are already familiar with the student and staff mobility programmes.  Their experiences have been valuable to CBU and its International/Erasmus Office. These staff have been in charge and responsible for the LLP in order to provide the highest and most efficient support and guidance to the students and other academic staff.

The University has already appointed a Ph.D., Dr. Mahmut Kargin, as the Erasmus Institutional Coordinator. The International Office is ready to provide valuable assistance for accomplishing University's Erasmus strategies, objectives, and priorities.

CBU has the potential of implementing student placement activities. Because of the location of the University, incoming students and staff will have the opportunity to work, research, and visit the major regional firms that mostly work with European companies.  CBU is located in one of the major industrial cities of Turkey, Manisa.  It is surrounded by an electronic industry giant, Vestel, and other manufacturing companies.  CBU seeks to spread basic business knowledge, state-of-the art management techniques and collaborate with the higher education institutions and various sized businesses in order to support the convergence of institutions and success of the LLP.

Collage of Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine have capability of developing multilateral projects in many areas such as Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, and Health. These schools' departments, staff, and students are familiar with multilateral projects. Their experiences will be valuable to establish and improve student placement activities for the next years. Large number of students and compatible teaching staff will benefit from the LLP.

In addition to all, CBU is to constantly improve the quality of its students and academic staff in order to be active participant of student placement activities.  To do so, CBU regards opening itself to the global world and integrating itself to the international academic community as a top priority. 

The University intends to receive visiting lecturers as well as sending its academic members of staff to the European partners in order to improve the quality of teaching and research programs.

With the help of student placement activities, the university plans to open its doors to the international partners and aims to be partners of small projects initially. The University Scientific Committee and local enterprises will also actively support multilateral projects between CBU and the partner higher institutions and enterprises.