International Students Have Graduated

This year marked the 13th anniversary of International Students Graduation Ceremony. The international students supported by Türkiye celebrated their graduation with a great joy.

Türkiye Scholarships, a scholarship program which helped Türkiye make a name for itself in international education mobility, has produced its 2024 graduates. The students celebrated their graduation in Ankara.

The 13^th celebration ceremony took place in Mimar Kemaleddin Hall at Gazi University. The international students from around the world came together in Ankara to celebrate their graduation after completing their education thanks to the scholarships Türkiye has granted them. The international students, who had been selected from among the most successful students of their countries, completed their studies in various departments. Now, they are preparing to go back home, where they will be able to pursue careers in their fields.

In the hall, which hosted a large number of new graduates, Seljan JAHANGIROVA, a student from Azerbaijan with a high honor degree, made a speech on behalf of the graduates of 2024.  Palestinian student Osama HINDI, the valedictorian of the department and faculty, also took the stage to make a speech. Both new graduates thanked Türkiye for the educational opportunities provided to them and promised to work for closer cooperation between their countries and Türkiye when they return to their home countries. JAHANGIROVA, who graduated from the Faculty of Medicine, said, “I came to Türkiye, my second homeland, to study medicine. I would like to thank my university and my family for helping me become a medical doctor.” “I express my deepest gratitude to Türkiye Scholarships, the Presidency of Turkish and Related Communities (YTB) and the Republic of Türkiye.”

Osama HINDI, who graduated from biomedical engineering, said “We thank very much YTB and Republic of Türkiye that chose us from among thousands of applicants and trusted in us”. HINDI added that Turkish was his second language and indicated that he was grateful to Türkiye for its sensitivity to Gaza. HINDI said that as a Palestinian, he had a bittersweet joy. He said, “Since 1948, thousands of people have been massacred in my country. I denounce the United Nations, which remained silent on what has been happening in Gaza. I am grateful to the Turkish people who have always stood by us and never left us alone.”  

Greeting the participants, YTB President Abdullah Eren said that Türkiye Scholarships, a program carried out jointly by many public institutions and organizations, is a strategic instrument of the state. The President underlined that all international students supported by Türkiye are the spiritual ambassadors of the country.  He also underlined that they want to stay in touch with international students through the Türkiye Alumni Program. “We will continue to defend the motto that a fairer world is possible,” he said. “We have been working hard to improve the way we select the best international students from around the world through our annual interviews, and today at this ceremony we see that we have chosen the right students to award scholarships to.”

The Rector of Gazi University, Prof. Musa YILDIZ, gave a speech at the ceremony and underlined the importance of internationalization in education. He said that Türkiye is one of the countries with the highest number of international students. Mr. Yıldız added, “We should not forget that we all have a responsibility to remove the obstacles preventing our universities from hosting more international students.”  

Finally, Mr. Serdar ÇAM, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, took the floor and stated that the International Students Graduation Ceremony has now turned into a tradition through which they come into contact with international students before they leave for their home countries that this is the opportunity to meet with international students before they leave for their home countries.

He addressed them saying “Now, you are all part of this land. You have lived here. Significant investments have been made in you. Your families, your countries and Türkiye have made great efforts to ensure that you receive a good education and have a profession. We are all proud of your achievements and we will continue to be proud wherever you go.” “From now on you need to be open to new disciplines and approaches. You all speak Turkish very well. When you return home, you will open the doors to the Turkic world of 300 million people.”

Seven of the new graduates who achieved success in various fields were presented with their awards. The graduation ceremony ended with students throwing their caps in the air and posing for photos. Afghan Muheeb Rahman Sediqi, a student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at Gazi University, ranked first in his department and second in the faculty, Diana Tehillah M'hango, a Zambian student of Economics at Anadolu University, ranked third in her department and Moustafa İsmail ranked first in the faculty, Miftachur Rohman, an Egyptian student who graduated from Middle East Technical University's Computer Engineering Department with the first rank, Miftachur Rohman, an Indonesian student who achieved great success in Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University's Psychology Master's program, and Lira Usakbek, a Kyrgyz student who achieved great success in Eskişehir Osmangazi University's Biology PhD program. The happiness of the international students was visible on their faces. Graduation ceremonies organized for Türkiye graduates will continue in different cities such as Konya and Istanbul in 2024.