Global and Intercultural Dimensions in Curriculum Development
Turkey's National Agency, conducting lifelong learning activities in the country, focuses on the opportunities in order to provide the knowledge and skills adults need in our world where the information is constantly refreshed. Similarly, it lists its priorities as increasing the quality and number of the cooperation between organizations involved in adult education all over the Europe, developing innovative adult education and management practices and supporting their dissemination. Ensuring the accessibility of adult people from different social groups and the environment and those who drop the school without acquiring the basic qualifications and the olds are among the priority targets. In order to reach these objectives over 800 projects have received grants in the scope of the Lifelong Learning/Grundtvig program and around 14,000 people have been overseas through these projects (Turkish National Agency, 2022).
Strategic Partnerships projects are also supported in the scope of Erasmus + Adult Education Program. The concerned projects aim to establish strategic cooperation and partnership between institution/organization in the member country for the purpose of development of innovative applications, their transfers, and their implementation at local/regional and national or international level. Through these partnerships, the development of innovative practices, provision of the availability of entrepreneurship and employment are aimed in the context of educational institutions, business, local/ regional authorities and non-governmental organizations in education and training activities. Strategic partnership project consists of country-based projects and applications are made by the applicant organization to the National Agency.
The main objectives of the Strategic Partnership projects can be summarized as follows:
•Strengthening cooperation between organizations/institutions for making experience sharing,
•The development of innovative experiences training, education, and youth, encouragement of their trials and applications,
•Recognition and validation of skills, competencies and knowledge gained through European tools,
•The development of education, training and youth systems, and their integration into local and regional development actions to support regional cooperation,
• Promoting active citizenship and entrepreneurship,
Partnership and Communication
Studies on the international and EU dimension of education are carried out by the Ministry of National Education (MoNE), Board of Higher Education, the Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology and Ministry of European Union. Turkish National Agency, carrying out planning and coordination tasks relating to the execution of EU education and youth programs, has been operating since 2004 when the full participation into programs took place. In 2004-2006, project studies regarding the Socrates (education), Leonardo da Vinci (vocational training), Youth (youth) were carried out in coordination with the Ministry of National Education. As regards the Erasmus program, the studies were carried out with the involvement of the Higher Education project (Turkish National Agency, 2022).
Studies conducted regarding the participation of Turkish National Agency into the EU education programs until the end of 2013 in the scope of The Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP) and Youth Programme (Youth) will continue in the period from 2014 to 2020 within the scope of the Erasmus +. Erasmus + covers the areas of education and youth, as well as sports. In terms of the main objectives and activities, Erasmus + which does not involve very large differences from existing programs, foresees some changes in order to achieve a simple and easier structure, and to increase the effectiveness of existing programs (Turkish National Agency, 2022).
The Ministry of National Education aims at a secondary and higher education system which targets to acquire a valid profession for employment to be put into practice in accordance with the common objectives in education and training of the European Union and in line with the needs of the business life. These aspects need to be taken into consideration when working on the lifelong learning approach. Especially to overcome problems caused by gender and quantitative differences in basic training and access as well as to improve the most important resources allocated to education for increasing the quality of basic education schooling are among the EU priorities. "National Occupational Standards" work is also carried out in conjunction with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. In this context 5544 Professional Qualifications Institution Act (PQIS) was adopted in Parliament in 2006 and was put into effect. PQIS is carrying out its duty (MEB 2010 Budget Report).
In the framework of bilateral cultural agreements, 104 graduate students sent to 20 countries in the scope of scholarships given to our government by foreign governments in the 2013-2014 academic year. Efforts to increase the number of country quotas and scholarships are continuing with revised international agreements in the coming years.
In 31.12.2012, student affairs, procedures, budget issues of foreign students have been transferred to the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities.
In the framework of bilateral cultural agreements, 166 graduate students sent to 21 countries in the scope of scholarships were given to our government by foreign governments in the 2013-2014 academic year. 30 research students, 9 PHD students, 32 MA students and 33 students were sent abroad for their language education. In 2014-2015 academic year, 130 students out of 258 were sent to 11 countries.
Within the framework of Bilateral Cultural Agreements, Foreign Governments emrine to Turkey were transferred to Prime Ministry Foreign Turks and Relative Communities Presidency as of 31.12.2012, along with foreign student work and transactions of "Turkey Scholarships".
Within bilateral cultural agreements, our State has been provided with scholarships for undergraduate and graduate cycles as well as for research and language grants. Within this frame, grants and scholarships 274 students were provided in 2020-2021 academic year, and 272 individuals benefited from those scholarships. As for 2021-2022, a number of 282 scholarships were provided and 262 benefited from them.