The Rector, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Öztaş, and Vice-Rector Assoc. Prof. Dr. David Felsen were pleased to attend an ERASMUS+ training program in Lille, France, as part of International Erasmus+ Week from April 24th to April 28th, 2023. Lille is a charming historic city, the birthplace of French Statesman and former President Charles de Gaulle, and it is considered the ‘capital’ of the north of France.  

The host university of the ERAMUS+ program was the Catholic University of Lille. Founded in 1875 and with over 40,000 students, it is the largest private, non-profit University in France. The University’s International Erasmus+ Week welcomed 60 participants from over 23 countries – including Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lebanon, India, Ghana, Georgia, and Ukraine, among others.

The schedule of activities was well-designed and interactive. Participants were given an overview of the University and its faculties as well as the University’s strategies. Activities were very engaging and included an introduction to how UC Lille incorporated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and Innovation Initiatives into the day-to-day activities across the institution, a campus tour, a tour of the city of Lille, individual meetings between participants and UC Lille faculty, a course in Survival French, Innovation Strategies in Pedagogy, a Roundtable on exchanging good practices on sustainability, and a formal dinner for participants.

The networking aspect of the program was very meaningful and fruitful. New opportunities with higher education institutions in Eastern Europe, Western Europe, the Middle East, and Africa were developed at the international week. Also discussed was extending and deepening EPOKA University ties with UC Lille and developing new initiatives with their management and engineering schools.

We would like to thank Anne-Marie Michel, the Director of the International Office of UC Lille, and her great team for organizing a great week for the participants!