The second day of the University of Gdańsk delegation’s visit to Istanbul University was dedicated to intensive meetings, discussions, and working sessions focused on identifying new opportunities for cooperation and strengthening academic networks between the faculties and units of both institutions.
A key objective of the programme was to foster direct contacts between academic staff and administrative units, creating a foundation for future joint initiatives in research, education, internationalisation, and project development. Representatives of several faculties and offices of the University of Gdańsk joined the meetings online, including Prof. Marcin Wołek and Dr. Maria Matusiewicz from the Faculty of Economics, Prof. Andrea Lipińska from the Faculty of Biotechnology, and Prof. Artur Giełdoń from the Faculty of Chemistry. Their participation contributed significantly to discussions on potential areas of collaboration and future academic activities.
Alongside these meetings, efforts were also undertaken to promote the activities of the Polish-Turkish Studies Centre at the University of Gdańsk in cooperation with the Faculty of Communication at Istanbul University. The discussions confirmed a strong mutual interest in expanding cooperation and translating ideas into concrete initiatives.
The next stage of collaboration will focus on developing joint activities, including academic events, staff and student exchanges, guest lectures, specialised courses, Staff Week programmes, Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs), and collaborative research and educational projects involving individual faculties and university units.
The delegation would like to express its sincere gratitude to Prof. Haluk Zülfikar and Prof. Feyza Nur Tunçer for their commitment, warm hospitality, and excellent preparation of the visit. The University of Gdańsk also looks forward to welcoming colleagues from Istanbul University during the upcoming Staff Week in November, dedicated to the theme “Happiness at Work.”
The day concluded with a dinner at Palude İstanbul, hosted by Chef Yunus Emre Akkor, one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Turkish cuisine. A distinguished researcher of the culinary heritage of Anatolia and the Ottoman Empire, Chef Akkor is a recipient of the Presidential Culture and Arts Grand Award of the Republic of Türkiye and has long promoted Turkish culinary traditions at international cultural and diplomatic events.
The second day of meetings demonstrated the shared commitment of both universities to strengthening institutional ties and developing sustainable academic partnerships that will benefit researchers, students, and staff in Poland and Türkiye alike.
Polish-Turkish Studies Centre