Image: SOURCE: THE RED&BLACK Exchange program in Turkey to start in fall The Department of Geology will send two students every semester for the next five years for an exchange program in Turkey, said Dr. Adam Milewski, assistant professor of Geology. Starting in fall 2016, the students will study at Middle East Technical University. It is ranked as the No. 1 university in Turkey and the No. 28 institution in Asia, according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2016 Best Global Universities list. Dr. Paul Schroeder, professor in the Department of Geology, said he has been working to start a program like this for the past 15 years. Milewski said he and Schroeder have finally secured financial backing for their plan. Milewski said the exchange program will be funded by a $2.1 million ERASMUS grant. The grant is designed to build connections and break down barriers between educators and students internationally. “We realize that these programs are based in bettering political relations, and I think we’re promoting real cultural exchange,” Schroeder said. The program is already beginning to look for applicants and is moving every day toward realizing its long-time goals, he said. “We’re looking for students with open minds, it’s important to have that foundation in geology, but we want students who have that curiosity, that want to see something new and exciting,” Milewski said. The hope is this is the first step in a broader relationship between the two universities and the two will become collaborators moving forward, Schroeder said. “It started with our scientific curiosity, but it’s a good opportunity to share cultural experience and build international relationships between students and faculty,” Milewski said.
