Turkish organization gathers international students

By Zeynep Rakipoglu</p> <p> </p> <p>ISTANBUL (AA) – International student gatherings offer opportunities to further participants’ careers and educations, the head of a Turkish group for foreign students studying in the country said Tuesday.</p> <p> </p> <p>&quot;The International Student Gathering wants to raise attention to international students,&quot; Mehmet Ali Bolat, head of the Federation of International Student Associations (UDEF) told Anadolu Agency.</p> <p> </p> <p>This year’s events will embrace the theme: &quot;Towards a just world from west to east.&quot;</p> <p> </p> <p>&quot;Our theme this year is justice, because we know the world is not governed fairly,&quot; Bolat said, adding that their knowledge of their own countries as well as the rest of the world would allow international students to establish fairness across the globe.</p> <p> </p> <p>Bolat said there are currently more than 5 million students studying abroad who would consider doing a graduate degree in a different country, adding: &quot;Why shouldn’t that country be Turkey?&quot;</p> <p> </p> <p>He said the total number of foreign students studying in Turkey has risen to 150,000 since the beginning of the program in 2004. </p> <p> </p> <p>Bolat underscored that tens of thousands of international students and millions of others had visited International Student gatherings so far in 51 countries.</p> <p> </p> <p>This year’s events began in Turkey’s central Kirsehir province on March 17 and will finish on May 4. Events are also to continue abroad, starting in Sri Lanka on March 6 and finishing in the U.K. on April 30.