IIJ-SUSI Scholar Cooperative Visit in Istanbul, Turkey

By Xueying Luo

SUSI 2011 scholar, Prof. Dr. Erol Nezih Orhon, organized a campus tour of Anadolu University in Eskisehir, Turkey for the delegation led by the director of the Institute for International Journalism (IIJ) and professor of journalism, Dr. Yusuf Kalyango. The IIJ’s mission to Anadolu University was to survey possible cooperative opportunities between the College of Communication & Journalism and the IIJ in the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University.The visiting team from the IIJ included Dr. Petya Eckler from the University of Iowa. Professor Eckler is a member of the advisory board of IIJ.

Dr. Orhon’s student also organized a city tour of Istanbul as well as the city of Eskisehir for Dr. Kalyango. The domestic travel from Istanbul to Anadolu University, Eskisehir was personally funded by Nezih Orhon and his university.

During the visit, Kalyango tweeted, “I’m getting the royal treatment in Turkey… What an amazing lively, historical, diverse city. Lovely people!” Kalyango said, “It’s a great research trip, it’s a promising IIJ-SUSI alliance tour, the delegation of E.W. Scripps School of Journalism will visit Anadolu University again.”

Nezih Orhon is one of the 17 international journalism and media scholars from universities around the world who are participating in SUSI summer institute. SUSI is funded by an annual renewable grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Study of the U.S. Branch in the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

Kalyango was in Istanbul to attend the 2011 annual conference of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR). During the second week of the SUSI 2011 program, Kalyango traveled to Istanbul give a research talk at the conference.

Anadolu University- a world class university

IIJ Director, Kalyango was warmly received by the president/rector of Anadolu University, Prof. Dr. Davut Aydin and his vice president/vice rector, Prof. Dr. Ender Suvaci. The IIJ plans to lead a delegation of the Scripps College of Communication administrators for an official visit to Anadolu University in 2012.

Anadolu University was established in 1958, it annually educates 1.7 million students from around the world. It is one of the preeminent innovative universities in Turkey. As a state university, Anadolu University houses 12 faculties or main colleges and three of which offer distance education. The university has the most successful distance education programs in the world that several national and international educational institutions replicate as a model.

Its main campus is located at the center of Eskesire, a city known as a scientific and cultural center. In Turkey, Anadolu University is the only authorized university as a center of excellence in aviation and railway systems and it facilitates the progress of transportation in Turkey.

A Glance at the City of Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is located on the Bosphorus Strait and it extends both the European and Asian sides of the Bosphorus. It is the only city in the world that goes across two continents. Istanbul is situated in the northwest of Turkey; the whole city encompasses the natural harbor, Golden Horn.

Istanbul is a city of long history; its historic areas have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1985. Istanbul served as the capital city of the Roman Empire (330–395), the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire (395–1204 and 1261–1453), the Latin Empire (1204–1261), and the Ottoman Empire (1453–1922). After the Turkish War of Independence on Oct. 29, 1923, Ankara replaced Istanbul as the capital city of Republic of Turkey.

Currently, Istanbul is bidding to host the 2020 Summer Olympics. In the year 2010, Istanbul served as a joint European Capital of Culture and was chosen as the European Capital of Sports for 2012.