To raise awareness about “European Union and Erasmus+” projects, Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Directorate of Research and Development (R&D), in collaboration with the Turkish National Agency, organized the “Stars League: Erasmus+ Central Projects Information Meeting” on May 23, 2025, at the Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Hall of the Ahi Evran Congress and Culture Center. Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Ali Güneş, Arzu Çetin (Expert), Damla Erdem (Assistant Expert), and Dr. Handan Boyar (Expert) from the Turkish National Agency, along with numerous academic and administrative staff, attended the meeting.
Delivering the opening speech of the meeting, Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Ali Güneş underlined that Erasmus+ projects are not limited to student and staff mobility. He stated: "The Directorate of Research and Development aims to open a new chapter in Erasmus+ and European Union projects at KAEU. Our directorate was established about six or seven months ago, and during this time, we realized there were significant gaps, particularly in National Agency projects. We noticed that apart from student mobility, the number of our project applications was quite low, and we have started working to improve this. With the support we received from the Turkish National Agency, our projects have now reached a certain level. Additionally, we have submitted three new project applications." Prof. Dr. Güneş added that their goal is to make Erasmus+ and EU projects more visible at the university. Highlighting that KAEU has entered its "youth stage" as an institution and left its "childhood" behind, he stressed the importance of increasing scientific research. He emphasized that the R&D Directorate has become a unit working diligently on international projects, thanks to the project teams. "In the past, KAEU had a limited number of accepted TÜBİTAK 1001 projects, but as of this year, five of our projects have been approved. This success was made possible through the efforts of our academics." He stated his hope for support from the academic staff in these fields and thanked all participants.
Assistant Expert Damla Erdem from the Turkish National Agency provided participants with detailed information about Centers of Vocational Excellence (CoVE), emphasizing that Erasmus+ is a program by the European Union supporting education, training, youth, and sports.
In the afternoon sessions, Expert Arzu Çetin delivered a comprehensive presentation on Erasmus+ Capacity Building Projects (CB-VET and CB-HE). Following her presentation, Expert Dr. Handan Boyar gave technical information on Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees and Jean Monnet Modules, sharing practical implementation examples.
The meeting concluded with the presentation of certificates of appreciation to participants and a commemorative photo.
