International Balkan University

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2 Skopje, December 2014 Prepared by IBUMedia Copyright 2

3 Rector s Message Dear Friends, On behalf of the, allow me to give you brief introduction to our University. The International Balkan University is founded in 2006 by the Foundation for Education and Culture ÜSKÜP. It is a foundation, non-profitable university, one of a kind in the Republic of Macedonia. Located in the heart of the Balkans, IBU is a gathering point for students from all over the region, including Turkey. This makes IBU a multinational, multi-religious and multicultural institution. If we add the fact that IBU is an English speaking, teaching and learning medium, then we can conclude that the epithet international fits our University the best. IBU has accredited programmes for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies. In accordance with the trends in modern education, our study programmes are specific and responsive towards the challenges of today and tomorrow. There is also a Preparatory Programme for English Language for those students who lack sufficient knowledge of English, delivering around 1000 hours of teaching and practice within a year. If you plan to be an expert in a field such as engineering, architecture, economics, administrative sciences, fine arts, educational sciences, communication, humanities and social sciences then IBU is the place to be. What makes IBU exceptional is the fact that every academic year, we deliver a significant number of scholarships for students from all over the Balkans. In this way, our donors and supporters invest in successful students, by providing them educational support and great chances for immediate employment right after graduation. In regards to the tuition fees for undergraduate and postgraduate studies, IBU still remains the most affordable university in Macedonia and wider in the region. The academic programs of have been accredited by the Macedonian Ministry of Education and Science, as well as by the prestigious Turkish Higher Education Council. Furthermore, starting from 2013, our degree programs are enlisted in the ÖSYS Booklet, thus creating an exclusive opportunity for Turkish students to easily enroll at IBU. A confirmation for our committed work, qualified academic staff, dedication to research and investment, social responsibility and service came directly from the most reputational institution in the world which deals with university ranking. The track record of success saw IBU ranked as the best private university in Macedonia in 2012 by the world-known Shangai University Ranking, according to criteria specifically designed for ranking world academic institutions. In a very near future, IBU will move its own university Campus in Skopje, which will provide its staff and students with the most modern educational and working standards as a ground for grasping new horizons and reaching greater achievements. In the end, allow me to emphasize once again our doors are widely open for students from Turkey and the Balkan region, as well as from other countries in the world. IBU is a guarantee for qualitative and prosperous education. IBU is the most fortified bridge towards a successful career all this, because we educate the leaders of tomorrow! Prof. Dr. Sinasi GÜNDÜZ Rector 3

4 IBU Students visited the US Embassy in Skopje Around 30 students from the visited the Embassy of the United States of America in Skopje as part of the Meet the Embassy program. Students had the chance to speak with diplomats regarding the work of the Embassy and their experience as diplomats. The visit was concluded with a tour around the Embassy grounds. 4

5 First Public Defense of Master Thesis After 8 years of academic excellence and three generations of graduated students in first cycle studies, on 7 April 2014 IBU promoted the first graduate of master studies at our university. In front of the Rectorate of IBU, academic staff, students and the family members, the posgraduate students in the master programme of Business Administration, Erkan Mehmedali successfully defended his master thesis entitled Major economic crises in Turkey and 2001 and acquired the degree Master of Science in Business Administration. Mentor of the candidate was Asst. Prof. Dr. Bojan Georgievski, whereas committee members were Asst. Prof. Dr. Bilall Kasami and Asst. Prof. Dr. Juliana Angelovska. Many other students continue their studies in various master programmes at IBU. 5

6 IBU Students at International Student Congress in Istanbul Four students from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences of IBU participated with their own papers and oral presentations at the International Student Congress New Dimensions in Supply Chain Management from 10 to 11 April 2014, in Istanbul, Turkey. The Congress was organized by Maltepe University. The students were led by their mentor, Asst. Prof. Dr. Snezana Bilic - Sotiroska, who at the same time chaired one of the sessions at the congress. Students had the opportunity to share their experiences and views on the topic New Dimensions in Supply Chain Management with students of Economics from 8 different countries. Dr. Bilic-Sotiroska agreed with the Dean of Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences of Maltepe University signing an Erasmus Cooperation Agreement. 6

7 Council of Higher Education of Turkey(YÖK) delegation visited IBU On 23 April 2014 (Wednesday), a delegation from the Council of Higher Education of Turkey (YÖK) including (at that time) Vice-President, Prof. Dr. M. A. Yekta SARAÇ, Executive Board Member, Prof. Dr. İbrahim HATİBOĞLU, Management Board Member, Prof. Dr. Mehmet ŞİŞMAN and Dr. M. Emin ZARARSIZ visited the in Skopje. Welcomed by IBU Rector, Prof. Dr. Şinasi GÜNDÜZ and Vice Rector, Prof. Dr. İsmail KOCAYUSUFOĞLU, the delegation was informed with the educational programmes, academic activities and international relations of our university. 7

8 Dr. John Fisher from Utah Valley University delivered a lecture On 9 May 2014 (Friday), Dr. John Fisher, Associate Professor of Emergency Services at Utah Valley University and a Public Relations professional, delivered a lecture about PR Challenges of Preparing the Public for Disasters. After his presentation, he invited students from Utah Valley University and from the International Balkan University who shared their experiences and joined in a discussion of the topic. 8

9 RTÜK Delegation visited IBU On 16 May 2014, a delegation of the Radio Television Supreme Council of Turkey (RTÜK-Radyo Televizyon Üst Kurulu) led by its Vice-President, Prof. Dr. Hasan Tahsin FENDOĞLU visited the International Balkan University in Skopje. The IBU Rector, Prof. Dr. Şinasi GÜNDÜZ briefed the delegation on the mission of our university, our academic and educational activities, current and future projects, etc. In the end, opportunities for cooperation between IBU and RTÜK were discussed. 9

10 IBU SPRING FESTIVAL On 27 May 2014, the organized the first Spring Festival. The event was held in the Skopje Kale Park from 12 to 19 hrs. Taking into consideration the vision that the founders of our University had 8 years ago when they decided to establish IBU and build a fortified bridge of various cultures and traditions among the different nations in the Balkan region and connecting them with Turkey, you will agree that this event is a direct contribution to this noble cause said Prof. Dr. Şinasi Gündüz, Rector of IBU, in his opening speech. The Spring Festival included various social and cultural activities performed by numerous associations and NGOs which participated with their artwork collections, folklore dance performance, festival games and humanitarian actions. In the afternoon hours, two music artists, Orhan Çakmak from Turkey and Mesut Kurtiş from Macedonia delivered live concert for the visitors. The Spring Festival was supported by the Municipality of Chair, Turkish Airlines, DUHAA, ENSAR, KÖPRÜ, Vizioni-M, "Edu Nisa", etc. 10

11 Intl Conference on English Language, British and American Studies The IBU Faculty of Letters, English Language and American Studies (ELAS) held the 1st International Conference on English Language, British and American Studies on 30th May, 2014 in Skopje. The theme of the conference is designed to attract the research communities to promote connection between theory and practice and explore different perspectives on the application of research findings into the field. The participants varied in a large group of countries such as Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Lithuania, Serbia, Poland, Slovenia and Turkey. The aim of the conference has been to provide a multilingual, international platform for exploration and exchange research findings, perspectives and experiences in literature, language teaching, translation, linguistics and literary studies and has been achieved, as suggested by the speakers. The Conference was organized under the coordinatorship of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yıldıray Çevik, Dean at the Faculty of Letters 11

12 IBU and Gaziantep University agreed on Academic Cooperation A delegation of Gaziantep University led by the Rector, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Yavuz COŞKUN visited IBU on 11th June The delegation was welcomed by the IBU Rector, Prof. Dr. Şinasi GÜNDÜZ, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Ismail KOCAYUSUFOĞLU and International Cooperation Coordinator, Doc. Dr. Snezana BILIC-SOTIROS- KA. During the meeting, both Rectors gave brief information on their respective universities, as well as shared their views on the future challenges of IBU and GAUN. In this regard, both rectors signed protocols for cooperation in the field of staff and student exchange under the framework of Erasmus+ and Mevlana programmes. Another significant project that was discussed at the meeting is the opportunity of offering a joint-degree master and doctoral programme of various scientific or social departments and for the implementation of this project, working groups will be established in the coming days. 12

13 IBU Graduation Ceremony The held the Graduation Ceremony for the academic year 2013/2014 on Friday (20th June 2014) in the Army House Hall in Skopje. On this occassion, the fourth generation of 75 graduates in undergraduate studies was promoted. On the other hand, for the first time in the history of IBU, 18 students of postgraduate studies were also promoted. 13

14 IBU Scholarship Exam Due to the unprecedented interest of students to enroll at the in Skopje, a Second Scholarship Exam was organized on 25 June 2014 (Wednesday). More than 200 students were tested in General Knowledge Exam with questions from the fields of culture, history, geography, mathematics and IQ, as well as in English Proficiency. 14

15 , Founding Member Of The Balkan Universities Association The Rector of IBU, Prof. Dr. Şinasi Gündüz participated in the first meeting of the Balkan Universities Association (BAU) which took place in the city of Edirne on September 2014 under the auspices of the Trakya University. The is a founding member of the association among the 35 universities-members. At the end of the gathering, each rector planted a tree in the yard of the Trakya University Karaağaç Campus. 15

16 Opening ceremony of Academic year 2014/ The Opening Ceremony of the academic year 2014/2015 was held today at the IBU M6 Educational Centre. The Rector of IBU Prof. Dr. Şinasi Gündüz addressed the academic staff and the newly enrolled students and shared his wishes for a successful academic year. 16

17 1st International Student Congress The Opening Ceremony of the 1st International Student Congress was held today at the M6 Educational Centre in Skopje. 50 leaders of tomorrow, participants from 19 countries gathered at congress in Skopje to discuss on the topic Global Business, Emerging Markets and International Economic Relations: Old Concerns and Fresh Hopes?. They were addressed by the Congress President, Sani Saidi, the Vice Rector of IBU, Prof. Dr. Ismail Kocayusufoglu, Chargé d'affaires of the Republic of Turkey in Skopje, H.E. Sinan Aktay, and the Head of Sector for Higher Education in the Ministry of Education and Science of Macedonia, Dr. Agim Rushiti. Keynote Speaker of the Congress was Mr. Emre Kozlu, General Manager of Philip Morris Skopje. 17

18 Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmus At IBU! On 8 October 2014 (Wednesday), the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş visited the. He delivered a conference in front of an audience including governmental representatives and parliamentarians from Macedonia and Turkey, academicians, intellectuals, professors and students. The Conference was held at the M6 Educational Centre in Skopje. Welcome speeches were held by the IBU Vice Rector, Prof. Dr. Ismail Kocayusufoğlu and University Executive Board President, Mr. Hüseyin Bürge. They expressed their gratitude and acknowledgment to Dr. Kurtulmuş for his consistent support and contribution since the foundation of IBU. In his speech, Prof. Dr. Numan Kurtulmuş shared his views on the global politics, the economic concepts of the modern time, as well as the social values that should prevail in a world of cohabitation and collaboration between different nations, cultures and religions.on the other hand, he underlined the importance of providing qualitative education for the new generations and in this regard, he congratulated the International Balkan University for the achieved success of being a cultural bridge between Macedonia and Turkey by gathering students from all countries of the Balkan region and Turkey in a shared multinational and multicultural educational environment. Dr. Kurtulmuş stated that IBU will continue to rise as a significant educational center in the Balkans region, particularly at a time when a whole new university campus is being built in the heart of Balkans, in Skopje. 18

19 Turkish Culture in the Balkans and Ahilik Symposium As a joint project of the, Ahi Evran University, Atatürk Cultural Center and Governorship of Kırşehir, the 'Symposium of Turkish Culture in the Balkans and Ahilik' was held on October 2014 in Skopje. At the Opening Ceremony held on Friday ( ), the Rector of the International Balkan University, Prof. Dr. Şinasi Gündüz, the Vice President of the Atatürk Cultural Centre, Mr. Şaban Abak and the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey in Macedonia, H.E. Ömür Şölendil addressed the audience which included academicians from the Balkan countries and Turkey, institutional representatives and students. In five sessions, participants delivered their presentations on the topic of the Symposium and shared their views and analyzes on the influence of the Turkish culture in the Balkans, the shared values and traditions of different nations and religions in the region, as well as the impact of ahilik on these issues. The project partners and participants agreed to work together in new projects that will gather academicians to discuss issues of mutual cultural and scientific interest. The Symposium was closed on Sunday ( ). 19

20 'GLOBAL TALKS' with Ergün Diler and Bekir Hazar The in cooperation with the International Balkan Federation (ULUBALDEF) organized a Conference entitled Global Talks with the prominent journalists, writers and opinion-makers in Turkey, Ergün Diler and Bekir Hazar. The guest speakers shared their views on current global issues related to politics, economics, social and cultural aspects, etc. The Conference ended with a round of questions & answers from the students. 20

21 International Relations Office Opened The International Relations Office (IRO) fosters international partnerships for transformative global opportunities and programmes. As part of IBU commitment to global education, IRO offers the Student Exchange Programme (SEP) and other global opportunities such as international summer programmes (i-sp), international internships (i-intern) and international research attachment programmes (i-rap). Embark on a journey to get exposed to the best of international community, cultures and practices beyond your boundaries. Your overseas experience is an investment in your future and it requires careful planning, management and commitment. Underlining this importance, IBU believes that all students should have the opportunity to participate in our programmes, and has adopted a needs blind policy for student acceptance. This means that IRO will support you in identifying a suitable programme and funding for your overseas experience, subject to your meeting the programme s criteria for participation, and flexibility for other considerations. 21

22 Traditional Rice and Asure day On Wednesday, 12th November 2014, the on Wednesday, 12th November 2014 organized the Traditional Rice and Aşure Day. The event was held in the yard of the IBU premises in Avtokomanda building. The event was attended by the representative of the Turkish Embassy in Skopje, Mr. Yusuf Ziya Kenar, former State Minister, Mr. Hadi Nezir, Attache for Religious Affairs in the Turkish Embassy, Mr. Seyfettin Ersoy, Chief Executive Director of Halkbank Macedonia, Mr. Necdet Palakçi, President of MATÜSİTEB, Mr. Tahsin Ibrahim, representatives of the ÜSKÜP Foundation, academic staff and students. In his welcoming speech, the Rector of IBU, Prof. Dr. Şinasi Gündüz thanked the attendants for their presence and extended the greetings of the President of the Executive Board, Mr. Hüseyin Bürge, who could not participate at the event due to his heavy agenda in Turkey. Rector Gündüz spoke on the importance of celebrating this day at IBU, in the direction of cultivating the multiculturalism present in the Balkans region for centuries. He emphasized the importance of spreading this spirit also among the IBU students, bearing in mind that our university gathers students from all countries of the Balkan region and Turkey. In the end, he thanked the sponsors and NGOs who contributed to the successful realization of this event. 22

23 New It Lab at IBU, a donation from Halkbank! With a donation from Halbank AD Skopje, a new Information Technology (IT) Lab was opened at IBU on Wednesday, 12th November On behalf of the University Management Board, academic staff and students, the Rector of IBU, Prof. Dr. Şinasi GÜNDÜZ shared his acknowledgment to Halkbank for the donation of personal computers which will be used in the educational process at the. He emphasized the fact that this donation from Halbank represents a successful model of cooperation between IBU and the business sector. On the other hand, the Chief Executive Director of Halkbank AD Skopje, Mr. Necdet PALAKÇİ in his greeting speech stated that this donation is reached as a result of the successful cooperation between the bank and IBU, as well as expressed his willingness to strengthen the support in the direction of offering IBU students internship and job opportunities at Halkbank. 23

24 The new issue of the IBU Journal of Social and Human Sciences was published The volume 1 no. 2 issue of the IBU Journal of Social and Human Sciences was published online in November Under the editorship of the Rector of IBU, Prof. Dr. Şinasi Gündüz, 7 papers from international authors took place in this issue. The ISSN of the Journal is: The Journal is available for viewing and downloading at 24

25 and Yunus Emre Institute Signed a Protocol for Cooperation The and the Yunus Emre Institute have signed a Protocol for Cooperation between the two institutions. The scope of the Protocol includes cooperation and support in the implementation of Turkish Language courses at IBU, establishing an office of YEI in the premises of the IBU Campus. providing internship opportunities and YEI Library access to IBU students, as well as organizing joint educational, cultural and social activities in the field of education, culture, literature, etc. 25

26 'Transformation and Transition of Balkans' Conference The IBU Student Council organized a conference entitled Transformation and Transition of Balkans on Wednesday, 19th November 2014 at the M6 Educational Center. IBU professors, Asst. Prof. Dr. Bilall Kasami, Asst. Prof. Dr. Bejtulla Demiri, and Asst. Prof. Dr. Shener Bilalli shared their views on the topic in its historic, political and economic context. The end of the conference evoked questions and comments from the audience of students who contributed to a fruitful and interesting debate. The Student Council will continue the round of conferences on current global issues in the next month. 26

27 IBU CAREER DAYS: Ramstore Macedonia The organized the first activity under the project 'IBU CAREER DAYS'. On 25th September 2014, the first company to attend the Career Days at IBU was Ramstore Macedonia DOO. The General Manager of Ramstore Macedonia, Mr. Ibrahim Kesemen in front of the university management, academic staff and students gave a presentation on the company profile. Accompanied with his Human Resources Team, Mr. Kesemen shared his experience in the business world with our students. In the second part of the activity, interested students presented their CVs in front of the managers of different sectors at Ramstore, who gave detailed information on the nature of obligations in their sector, as well as presented their requirements in direction of providing internship and job opportunities for IBU students at Ramstore. 27

28 iteach Erasmus Project Focus Group Meetings As a part of the dissemination activities of the ERASMUS Project Improving Teaching Effectiveness in Chemical Engineering Education, from to IBU team organized and held five meetings of the three different focus groups formed within the Project. Three different meetings were held within the focus group Academics in Skopje, Sofia and Belgrade. The participants in these meetings were academic staff from the University Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the University St Kliment Ohridski, the University Goce Delchev, Macedonia, the University of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy, Sofia, and the University of Belgrade. The other two meetings were held with the focus group Employers, with the participation of the managers from different companies in Republic of Macedonia, and the focus group Graduates -employed engineers with the working experience between two and ten years. The results from these meetings as well as the answers from the questionnaires will help in establishing assessment framework for teaching effectiveness. 28

29 'HORIZON2020' Programme presented in front of IBU Academic Staff On Tuesday, 2 December 2014, representatives from the Ministry of Education and Science presented research project opportunities in front of the academic staff of the. The presentation was held in the premises of M6 Educational Center. Their presentations were directed to research activities of the Ministry of Education and Science and European Commission, with particular focus on the Horizon2020 Programme. The following presentations were held: Research Programs and Projects of the Ministry of Education and Science Ms. Violeta Atanasovska, National Coordinator of Horizon2020 European Commission Research Programs: Horizon 2020 (general) and Joint Research Centers (JRC) Ms. Marina Nikolovska, National Coordinator of Horizon2020 and National Contact Point of Joint Research Centers (JRC) European Commission Research Programs:Horizon 2020, Legal and Financial aspects and European Research Council (ERC) Ms. Stanka Petkovska, National Contact Point for Legal and Financial Issues European Commission Research Programs:Marie Curie Sklodowska Actions on Skills, Training and Career Development Ms. Olga Dukovska, National Contact Person for Mobility 29

30 CAREER DAY 2: Employment Agency Of The Republic Of Macedonia The project IBU Career Days continued on Monday, 15 December 2014 with a presentation of the Employment Agency of the Republic of Macedonia. The Agency Representative, Mrs. Biljana Petruseva gave a presentation on the procedure for registration of unemployed people in the Employment Agency, the measures taken to promote employment of young people up to the age of 29, as well as the activities of the Agency in direction of raising awareness for the legal benefits of the companies in case of employing young people (referring to students after their graduation). Students of third and fourth year who participated at the event were active in their questions and comments and benefited from the presentation. 30

31 Hajan Selmani, Microsoft MVP had a lecture On Wednesday, 18 December 2014, under the organization of the IBU Student Council, Mr. Hajan Selmani, Founder and CEO of Hesalt & Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Trainer gave a lecture in front of the students and academic staff of Computer Engineering. The topic of his lecture was 'Becoming successful in a world influenced by technologies'. He explained his road of success and emphasized his milestones of becoming what he is today, a highly qualified professional in the field of information technologies. During his lecture, he was accompanied by IBU Alumni student, Enes Demiri who shared his success story from being an IBU student to being part of company that works with the globally known Microsoft. Students were exceptionally satisfied from the opportunity to learn in first hand from the practises and knowledge of an IT professional. 31

32 IBU Table-Tennis Tournament Under the organization of the IBU Student Council, the traditional Table-Tennis Tournament was held in the period December More than 30 students participated in the Tournament. The final match was played on 23 December 2014 between the students Ali Rexhepi and Bilge Kaan Atakan. The winner of the Tournament was Ali Rexhepi. First Place: Ali Rexhepi Second Place: Bilge Kaan Atakan Third Place: Ahmet Özdemir The Rector of IBU, Prof. Dr. Şinasi Gündüz and the President of the Student Council, Jeton Pashtriku handed to the Top 3 students medals and certificates for their success. 32

33 'Dare and Share Your IBU Story' Public Relations students, in cooperation with their professors and the IBU Student Council, organized the Dare and Share social event at IBU on Wednesday, 24 December The event included presentation of the short documentary entitled Dare and Share your IBU Story, presentation of traditional food from different cultures, as well as charity fundraising for people in need. The audience was addressed by the Rector of IBU, Prof. Dr. Şinasi Gündüz, who congratulated the students for the idea and the realization of the event and ensured support for this kind of events in the future. Prof. Emilija Stoimenova-Canevska and Asst. Radmila Zivanovic who worked with students on this project shared their words of praise for the creativity and diligence of their students. 33

34 Presentation of Comission for protection of the right to free access to public information The Commission for protection of the right to free access to public information had a presentation in front of IBU students on Thursday, 25 December 2014 from 12:30-13:30. Commission representatives, Cvetan Stanoeski and Valentina Fidanovska presented the legal framework of the Law on right to free access to public information, the rights of the citizens in application of this law, as well as the work of the Commission in direction of protecting this right and raising awareness among institutions and citizens. At the end, both representatives received a certificate of appreciation for their cooperation with IBU, as well as an Agreement for Cooperation was signed between both institutions. 34

35 Cooperation with Konya Necmettin Erbakan University established educational cooperation with Konya Necmettin Erbakan University. The cooperation focuses on staff and student exchange under the framework of the Erasmus and Mevlana Exchange Programmes. On Friday, 26th December 2014, a delegation of Konya Necmettin Erbakan University led by Prof. Dr. Selman Türker, professor at the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture visited IBU and had a meeting with the Rector of IBU, Prof. Dr. Şinasi Gündüz and Vice Rector, Asst. Prof. Dr. Snezana Bilic-Sotiroska. They discussed on the challenges of both universities and their future projects. In this regards, both parties agreed to establish close educational and scientific research, and as a result of this initiative, cooperation agreements were signed. 35

36 We educate the leaders of tomorrow! 36