Visiting Scientist and Staff Exchange to Anadolu University, Turkey

Day 1 (20th May 2024)

My colleagues and I from Universitas Terbuka were assigned to conduct a visiting scientist and staff exchange program at Anadolu University, Turkey, as part of the EQUITY program. Other colleagues were assigned to China, specifically Shanghai Open University (SOU) and Open University of China (OUC). This is the first time UT has conducted such a program, and it is hoped that it will become a sustainable initiative in the future.

The five of us departed from Terminal 3 of Soekarno Hatta Airport using Saudia Airlines. The journey from Jakarta to Jeddah took about 5 hours. After that, we continued our flight to Istanbul, which took around 4 hours, and arrived at Istanbul Airport at 2 PM.

After collecting our luggage, we were picked up by a driver we had hired from a travel agency. On the way, we stopped for dinner and were quite surprised by the very large portions served. We thought this might have happened due to a miscommunication. FYI, most Turks do not speak English, so we had to use translation apps on our phones.

After eating, we were taken to the Ramada Encore Hotel in Eskisehir, which is very close to the Anadolu campus. The hotel was quite comfortable with a beautiful view. Eskisehir is a relatively quiet city. After that, we rested and prepared for the activities the next day.

Day 2 (21st May 2024)

After breakfast at the hotel, we headed to Anadolu University and met with the PIC of this program, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serpil Kocdar. She then gave a presentation about the Faculty of Open Education, Anadolu University, in general. The event continued with the presentation of a token of appreciation to Dr. Serpil and a discussion regarding the MoA and IA related to our activities. At lunchtime, Dr. Serpil invited us to have lunch at a restaurant within the campus.

After lunch, Dr. Serpil took us on a brief tour of the campus, after which we met with Prof. Asu from the Quality Assurance Unit. We received a lot of information and insights from Dr. Asu regarding quality management at Anadolu University. After that, we also presented a token of appreciation to her.

After all the activities at the campus were completed, we returned to the hotel to drop off our belongings and headed to Odunpazari using the tram. We walked around for a bit, took photos, and bought some souvenirs.

Day 3 (22nd May 2024)

On the third day, we visited the Indonesian student booth at the 2024 Spring Festival “Student Fair and International Student Culture Day” at Anadolu Park. We were very happy to meet many Indonesian students studying at Anadolu University as well as students from all over the world.

After walking around, we headed straight to the Faculty of Open Education to meet Dr. Erdem, the Vice Dean of the Student Affairs Department. We had a warm discussion with him and then were invited to tour the department and meet the staff.

After lunch at the campus canteen, we visited the Learning Technologies and R&D Department and Data Analytics with Dr. Sinan at the TV Studios Building. The studio here is quite similar to the one at UT. Then, we walked outside the campus to visit the learning material recording facility. Finally, we met with Dr. Nejdet, the Head of the Assessment Department. This was the last unit we visited, and we were very pleased to be able to discuss with colleagues from Anadolu University. After all the activities were completed, we returned to the hotel and prepared to visit Espark, a mall in the Eskisehir area. We bought some materials for the cultural event the next day.

Day 4 (23rd May 2024)

On the fourth and last day in Eskisehir, we showcased traditional costumes and gave a presentation at an event titled “Exploring Indonesian Culture,” held in a hybrid format. The event was attended by staff and students both in-person and online. The five of us wore costumes from various regions of Indonesia and served rendang. We also invited the audience to dance in the middle of the presentation about Indonesian culture. The attendees seemed to enjoy our performance very much. Additionally, some of them asked to take photos with us after the event. After the event was over, we said our goodbyes to everyone and continued our journey to Istanbul.

We took a taxi to the Eskisehir station and boarded a train to Istanbul, which took about 4 hours. At Halkali Station in Istanbul, we were picked up by a driver and taken to the hotel. We arrived at the hotel around midnight, and there was a slight issue with our booking, so we had to pay an additional 130 Euros. It was quite unexpected, but we had no choice.

Day 5

We spent the last day in Turkey in Istanbul before returning to Indonesia. We walked around the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Topkapi, etc. We also visited a souvenir shop frequently visited by Indonesians. After that, we had lunch at an Indonesian restaurant and ordered fried chicken rice. It was delicious. After that, we were taken by the driver to the Bosphorus and took some photos there.

Around 4 PM, we headed to SAW Istanbul Airport. We flew with Qatar Airways from Istanbul to Doha and Garuda Indonesia from Doha to Soetta. Alhamdulillah, at 3 PM Indonesian time, we landed safely and were reunited with our beloved families.

We’re very happy with the experience. Hope to visit Turkey again one day! Aamiin.