Internationalization Strategy Document

T.C.LOKMAN HEKİM UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONALISATION STRATEGY DOCUMENT

March 2021

1. Presentation

The increase in the number of universities, diversity in the higher education sector, the desire of universities to internationalise, insufficient financial resources, and the necessity of differentiation among universities have led to the importance of strategic planning. Universities are expected to determine differentiation strategies with their strategic plans and create university-specific approaches. Law No. 5018 defines strategic planning as "a plan that includes the medium-term objectives, basic principles and policies, goals and priorities, performance measures, methods to be followed to achieve them and resource allocation of public administrations".

Strategic planning enables universities to plan in accordance with their autonomous structure. In this direction, Lokman Hekim University has created the Internationalisation and Basic Strategy Document in accordance with its mission and vision.

Turkey's becoming a centre of attraction in the field of higher education and increasing institutional capacity in internationalisation are the two main goals determined in line with these policies.

In the Internationalisation in Higher Education Strategy Document dated 30 June 2017 for the period 2018-2022, the Council of Higher Education has determined the main strategic policies and objectives for internationalisation in the field of Turkish Higher Education in three main areas: Access to Higher Education, Quality and Institutional Capacity YÖK (2018-2022).

2. History, Mission and Vision of our University

Lokman Hekim University started its academic activities in the 2018-2019 academic year. Our university continues its education with 10 undergraduate programmes in 5 Faculties including Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Sports Sciences and Vocational School of Health Services, and 10 associate degree programmes in 1 School. In addition, postgraduate education continues in 6 PhD, 15 master's degree programmes with thesis and 1 master's degree programme without thesis within our Institute of Health Sciences.

Our university gave its first graduates on 12 August 2020 in the First and Emergency Aid Technician and Anaesthesia Technician Programmes within the Vocational School of Health Services.

Lokman Hekim Health Group's experience of nearly a quarter of a century in the provision of health services, our strong and multidisciplinary academic staff and the fact that we are one of the few universities with a university hospital among foundation universities give our students the chance to do rich practice, research and internship and constitute one of the strongest aspects of our education. Based on the mission and vision of our university below, the strategic plan of the internationalisation commission has been created.

Mission of our university

Lokman Hekim University;

1. To equip its graduates with universal knowledge, skills and competences as a leading university in health education,

2. To ensure the advancement and dissemination of science through research,

3. To contribute to the local, regional and national economy with the knowledge produced,

4. To develop healthy life at individual and social level depending on ethical and cultural values

mission.

The vision of our university

To be a respected university that leads the progress in science by synthesising the accumulation of East and West in the field of health, becoming an ecole with its unique educational approach, recognised and preferred in the world.

Lokman Hekim University will adopt its education programmes by synthesising an entrepreneurial approach that generates income (converted into economic benefit) in order to train educated human resources that can easily work all over the world. When it realises these approaches that form the basis of its vision, it will act with the vision of becoming a world university located in Turkey but with international calibre.

3. Strategic Plan Preparation Process

The "Strategic Plan" of Lokman Hekim University has been prepared with a participatory approach within the framework of the provision of Article 9 of the "Public Financial Management and Control Law" No. 5018, "Public Administrations prepare strategic plans through participatory methods in order to establish their mission and vision for the future within the framework of development plans, programmes, relevant legislation and the basic principles they have adopted, to set strategic goals and measurable objectives, to measure their performance in line with predetermined indicators and to monitor and evaluate this process." and according to the template determined by the "Draft Strategic Planning Guide for Universities".

Working groups were formed in the Board and the strategic plan was divided among these groups, and each group examined the strategic plans in its own field and met once a week within the framework of the determined calendar.

The internationalisation strategy document is a product of the working group, which includes representatives from the academic and administrative units of the university. On 31 December 2020, our commission, which was established with the appointment of the Rectorate, held its first meeting on 13 January 2021 under the chairmanship of our Rector Prof. Dr. Bülent GÜMÜŞEL and the main structure of the internationalisation report was determined.

The commission held its second meeting under the chairmanship of Rector's advisor Prof. Dr. Ayşe KARADUMAN and determined the road map. It continued its work on internationalisation by meeting every week, and the commissions formed carried out the necessary work.

3.1 Structure of the Internationalisation Strategy

The strategy document has been created in a way to reveal the internationalisation vision and goals of our university, to include the steps to be taken in this direction and the details of the action plans, and to express the conditions of the relevant units and process follow-up. Accordingly, this strategy is evaluated under the following four main headings

- Reaching international standards in education and training

- To increase the number of international students

- To take part as a university in international research and development

- International Recognition

3.2 Internationalisation Strategy Commission

Prof. Dr. Fatih GÜLTEKİN Rector

Prof.Dr. Aynur Ayşe KARADUMAN Advisor to the Rector

Prof.Dr. Yeşim ULUTAŞ UĞUR Faculty of Medicine

Prof.Dr. Belgin AKIN Faculty of Health Sciences

Dr.Lecturer Açelya ERİKÇİ Faculty of Pharmacy

Dr.Lecturer Can TÜRK Faculty of Medicine

Dr.Lecturer Member Merve ALTINGÖZ Faculty of Dentistry

Dr.Lecturer Banu ÜNVER Faculty of Health Sciences

Lecturer Assist. Banu SÜZEN Faculty of Health Sciences

Lecturer Gör. Ebru ESENKAYA SHMYO

Dilay HAMRET Head of the Department of Communication and Publicity

Füsun TORUN Student Affairs Coordinator

Ejder BÜYÜKYURT International Relations Specialist

3.3 Internationalisation Strategy Working Groups

International Student Group: Under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Ayşe KARADUMAN; Dr. Lecturer.

Prof. Dr. Açelya ERİKÇİ, Student Affairs Coordinator Füsun TORUN, International Relations Specialist Ejder BÜYÜKYURT were assigned to the international office.

Research and Project Group: Under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Belgin Akın, Dr. Lecturer Banu

ÜNVER was assigned to the international office together with Cavidan GÜZEL.

Education Group: Under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Yeşim Ulutaş UĞUR, Dr. Lecturer. Prof. Dr. Merve

ALTINGÖZ, Student Affairs Coordinator Füsun TORUN together with the education-teaching department

He was also appointed from the Presidency

Promotion Group: Prof. Dr. Lecturer. Prof. Dr. Can TÜRK, Lecturer. Assist. Ebru ESENKAYA, Lecturer. Assist. Banu

SÜZEN and Dilay HAMRET and one person from the corporate communication coordinatorship were assigned.

4. SWOT Analysis

Strengths

Technical infrastructure supporting education in classrooms and laboratories

Presence of a group of hospitals

The fact that we give the diploma supplement

Existence of application-research centres

Having a young human resource

Dynamism and fast decision making

Weaknesses

Lack of social and sports facilities

Adaptation of hospitals to the education system

Lack of national and international accreditation

Inadequacy of research infrastructure

Inadequacy of campus facilities

Opportunities

Being a new and young university

Educational advantages in the field of health

Demand for higher education

Located in the city centre

Turkey's geopolitical position

Developments in information technologies

Threats

Education fees and scholarship opportunities

Economic uncertainties

New foundation universities

Presence of foundation and state universities with strong research infrastructure

5. Follow-up of Internationalisation Strategy

The Internationalisation Strategy will be monitored, institutionalised, improved and implemented by the "Internationalisation Commission" established in order to find solutions for problems that may arise. The Commission is planned to meet at regular intervals. Within the framework of the agenda items to be determined, if necessary, representatives from administrative units that do not have a permanent representative in the commission or from academic units specific to the agenda will be invited. The Commission will inform all units about their responsibilities and decisions taken within the scope of internationalisation.

Internationalisation is also considered as a tool to increase the quality of research, education and all administrative processes of our University.

For this purpose, it is planned to increase the number of faculty members who will teach in English and the number of faculties that will meet the Bologna criteria, but we do not have a starting value for this. It is thought that the new English faculties to be opened will support these criteria. The senior management of the Rectorate is responsible for this goal, and the External Relations Coordination Office and the Bologna Coordination Commission are among the units to cooperate with.

While determining the purpose of the internationalisation commission, it was associated with the strategic plan of our university and the aim of our university "To be a leading global university with its education and training services in health sciences" was determined as the main purpose of our commission. In relation to this purpose, 4 strategic goals and performance targets of these goals have been determined. In this direction, the strategic plan of the internationalisation commission has been created. For the performance indicator of each target, performance target, performance indicator, initial value, targeted indicator level, description of the target, responsible units and units to be co-operated with were determined and explained one by one in the report.

7.1. Strategic Goal 1- Reaching International Standards in Education and Training

In order to reach this target, i.e. international standards in education, 8 sub-performance targets have been set.

7.1.1. Performance Objective 1: Develop a master plan to improve educational infrastructure:

7.1.2. Performance Target 2: Developing Self Study Areas, Self Access and Independent Learning Centre:

It is planned to start work on determining the infrastructure for the establishment of the centre, but we do not have a starting value for this. Rectorate Senior Management, Learning and Teaching Development Measurement and Evaluation Unit are the responsible units for the realisation of this target.

7.1.3. Performance Objective 3: To open programmes that train high quality specialists and academicians needed in the field of health in Turkey and neighbouring countries:

It is aimed to open 1 programme that meets this target.

There is currently no existing programme. It is aimed to open 1 programme in 5 years. New English departments to be opened will also support this goal. Academic Units, Student Affairs Department are the units to be co-operated with. It is aimed to open a programme that can receive international students in the field of medical specialty, and currently we have 4 new medical specialty programmes. Rectorate Senior Management, LHU Medical Speciality Board are the responsible units.

7.1.4. Performance Target 4: Educational cooperation with international programmes:

It is necessary to determine the basic elements of the education and training systems of the universities to be cooperated with, as well as the number of faculties and departments to be cooperated with, and our initial value is 6 agreements. It is planned to cooperate with at least 2 educational institutions per year, and the Rectorate Senior Management, Foreign Relations Coordinatorship is responsible for the realisation of the target. Academic Units, Student Affairs Department are among the units to be cooperated with.

7.1.5. Performance Target 5: To initiate preparations for ORPHEUS accreditation in graduate education:

Determining ORPHESUS conditions, the percentage of items that meet the conditions / ORPHEUS readiness percentage is important. It is recommended to establish a commission under the coordination of the Institute of Health Sciences. The Rectorate Senior Management and the Institute of Health Sciences are responsible for the realisation of the target. Academic Units, Foreign Relations Coordination Office, Student Affairs Department are among the units to be co-operated with.

7.1.6. Performance Target 6: Establishing an academic counselling system for international students:

Defining counselling systems for international students, repeating counselling trainings for international students at the beginning of each semester, and the number and results of surveys with students' academic counsellors are performance targets, and the number of counselling meeting minutes, the number of instructors receiving training, the number of counselling service feedback surveys, and the ratio of students completing the survey are determined as performance indicators. There is no starting value. It is recommended that counselling reports be evaluated and reported twice a year. These reports will also be attached to student files. Academic units and the Student Affairs Department are responsible for the realisation of the target.

7.1.7. Performance Target 7: To design and offer extra curriculum programmes to develop students:

It is aimed to offer at least one elective course in English in each field of science, to expand the elective course pool at least as much as the compulsory course pool, and the target has no initial value. It is planned to offer 2 elective courses in English per year and to enrich the curriculum with international programmes. External Relations Coordination, Teaching and Learning Development, Assessment and Evaluation Unit are responsible for the realisation of the target. Measurement and Evaluation Unit is responsible for the realisation of the target. The units to be co-operated with are LHUSEM, LHUZEM, Student Affairs Department.

7.1.8. Performance Target 8: Encouraging active participation of academic staff in international events:

The number of participation in scientific events, the number of participation in international events is targeted and the target has no initial value. It is aimed to participate in at least 2 international events per department. In the first year, at least 2 academic staff from each department will attend at least 2 international academic meetings / congresses. The senior management of the Rectorate, academic units are responsible, and academic units, student affairs department, human resources planning coordination, financial affairs department will be in cooperation.

7.2. Strategic Goal 2- Increasing the Number of International Students

7.2.1. Performance Target 1: To develop systems and processes to support international student mobility:

10 It is aimed to make international agreements and the number of agreements made is our indicator. Our university currently has 6 international agreements. Our target is to conclude 2 international agreements per year, but this target can be exceeded if the systems and processes are well developed. The Rectorate Senior Management, Foreign Relations Coordination Office, International Relations Office are responsible and will be in cooperation with academic units, student affairs department, human resources planning coordination, financial affairs department.

7.2.2. Performance Target 2: To carry out activities to promote the university abroad for potential students:

Our target is to participate in 15 fairs abroad and to prepare introductions of all academic departments in 2 foreign languages (English, Arabic). 2 international fairs were attended. It is planned to participate in 3 fairs abroad and to prepare promotions of all academic departments in 1 foreign language (English). Foreign relations coordinatorship and international relations office are responsible for the target. International relations coordination, publicity and public relations coordination, academic units, financial affairs department, human resources planning coordination will be co-operated with.

7.2.3. Performance Target 3: Develop scholarship programmes (dormitory, food, etc.) to attract the best students and manage these programmes in a competitive manner:

500 successful students are targeted to receive scholarships and 114 international students benefit from scholarships. The senior management of the Rectorate, Foreign Relations Coordination Office, International Relations Office are responsible for this programme and the International Relations Coordination, Publicity and Public Relations Coordination Office will be in cooperation with academic units, Financial Affairs Department, Student Affairs Department.

7.2.4. Performance Target 4: Making maximum use of external resources:

The target is to promote our social accounts in international languages. The number of followers of our international instagram account is 350. The target is to increase it to 1000 in total and the aim is to use all social media effectively. Responsible units are the Department of Corporate Communication and Promotion, and the Publicity and Public Relations Coordinatorship will be in cooperation with the International Relations Coordinatorship.

7.2.5. Performance Target 5: Ensuring that our web page is constantly updated in various languages such as English and Persian and establishing an independent website for international students:

It is aimed to establish an independent web page in various languages such as English and Persian, to establish an independent website for international students, and it is planned to translate English for the first year and Persian for the second year and beyond. Cooperation will be established with the Foreign Relations Coordination Office and the Department of Corporate Communication and Promotion.

7.3. Strategic Goal 3- To Take Part in International Research and Development as a University

7.3.1. Performance Target 1: To increase the number of international publications made at our university

To make three hundred international publications in 5 years on a university basis and our data for 2020 is 59 publications. It is aimed to make at least 60 international publications per year on a university basis, and the responsible unit is the senior management of the rectorate and academic units.

Increasing the number of lecturers with a foreign language knowledge of 80 and above by 10% each year, increasing the number of international online databases memberships by 50% is a sub-performance target of this target, and it is aimed to have at least one lecturer with a good level of foreign language knowledge in each department. The number of international online databases memberships of our university is 19 and it is aimed to increase by 10% every year. Library and Documentation Coordination Office and Human Resources Planning Coordination Office are the units to be co-operated with.

7.4. Strategic Goal 4 - International Recognition

In order to achieve this goal, 7 sub-performance targets have been set.

7.4.1. Performance Target 1: To make sustainable international agreements with leading universities in the world:

The target is to make sustainable international agreements with leading universities in the world, and it is aimed to identify the universities to be interviewed and to establish sub-working groups on the basis of academic units for this purpose. The Rectorate's senior management, academic units, external relations coordinatorship are responsible for the target, and will be in cooperation with the publicity and public relations coordinatorship and international relations coordinatorship.

7.4.2. Performance Target 2: Conducting studies to promote the university abroad for potential students:

It is a goal to ensure sustainability by making membership applications to at least one international professional associations, scientific commissions, scientific networks on the basis of academic units of the university, and it is planned to make 20 applications for this purpose. There is no initial value. Rectorate senior management and academic units, external relations coordinatorship are the units responsible for the fulfilment of the target.

7.4.3. Performance Target 3: Ensuring that internationally renowned trainers/researchers are invited to our university:

It is aimed to ensure that 10 internationally renowned trainers/researchers are invited to our university. For this purpose, it is planned to form sub-working groups on the basis of academic units and to invite at least 2 speakers on the basis of faculties. The Rectorate Senior Management, Academic Units, External Relations Coordinatorship are responsible for the realisation of the target, and cooperation will be made with the Promotion and Public Relations Coordinatorship, International Relations Coordinatorship, Human Resources Planning Coordinatorship.

7.4.4. Performance Target 4: Encouraging international accreditation by taking the exemplary academic units of the world as role models:

Our target is to encourage international accreditation by taking the exemplary academic units of the world as role models and we do not have a starting value. It is aimed to increase the criteria required for international accreditation by 5%. Rectorate Senior Management, Academic Units are responsible for the realisation of the target, and cooperation will be made with the External Relations Coordination Office and the Education Commission.

7.4.5. Performance Target 5: Providing internship opportunities for students by expanding cooperation with the business world and key stakeholders:

It is aimed to make at least 3 agreements on a university basis to provide internship opportunities for students by contacting international companies. Rectorate Senior Management, Academic Units are responsible for the realisation of the target. Co-operation will be made with the Human Resources Planning Coordinatorship and the Department of Education and Training.

7.4.6. Performance Target 6: Preparation of department-based promotional videos and brochures in different languages:

Our target is to complete the foreign language videos and brochures of the faculties and institute departments, and there is a general promotional video of our university. External Relations Coordinatorship is responsible for the realisation of the target. Publicity and Public Relations Coordination Office, International Relations Coordination Office, Financial Affairs Department will be co-operated with.

7.4.7. Performance Target 7: Contacting the Education Attachés of Embassies:

It is aimed to visit 20 Embassies by visiting at least 4 Embassies per year. Our starting value is 3 visits. The Rectorate Senior Management, Foreign Relations Coordinatorship is responsible for the realisation of the target and the target will be achieved in cooperation with the Embassies, Consulates, Publicity and Public Relations Coordinatorship, International Relations Coordinatorship.