22 September 2004 Turkish Students Could Look to NZ and Lincoln

Students from Turkey could join the international mix at Lincoln University following encouraging words from the republic's Deputy Prime Minister when visiting the campus this week. (22 Sept.)

His Excellency Associate Professor Abdullatif Sener, who is also Turkey's Minister of State, said he believed there was a large number of students in Turkey who would like to spend part of their study terms in New Zealand or other places abroad.

At the moment Lincoln University has no students from Turkey among the 60 different countries represented on-campus. And no academics from Turkey on the staff. The University has however had a significant involvement in the past in aid and other projects in Turkey and both the Vice-Chancellor Professor Roger Field and the Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Business Development) Professor Tony Zwart, who welcomed the Deputy Prime Minister to the campus, have worked there.

Concerning study destinations overseas for Turkish students, His Excellency said they would make their preference in terms of "the way the wind was blowing" and there was a favourable breeze blowing towards New Zealand.

Students had to make calculations of cost, one country against another, said the Deputy Prime Minister, reflecting his economics background. Ultimately the determining factor would be identification of the most lucrative option.

The Deputy Prime Minister is an Associate Professor of Economics and has written extensively on economic and political matters. He is the author of a text, The Ottoman Tax System During The Tanzimat Period.

Professor Field assured him that Lincoln University was very competitive internationally in terms of study costs and said that the University was "very keen" to have Turkish students.

The Deputy Prime Minister was accompanied on his visit by Turkish officials representing foreign trade, agriculture, transportation, commerce and industry, energy, and public works. The party also included New Zealand officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Footnote: The Director of Lincoln University's Foundation Studies and English Language Centre, Derek Chapman, visited Turkey earlier this year and there is already one Turkish enrolment for 2005 on the books at Lincoln.

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand