Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University (KMU) attended the 8th General Assembly of the Turkish Universities Union (TURKUNIB) held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The meeting, aimed at strengthening collaboration among universities in the Turkic world, was attended by a delegation led by KMU Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet GAVGALI.

Rector GAVGALI was accompanied by Assistan Prof. Dr. Umut ÇİL, KMU’s Coordinator for Internationalization and Orhun Exchange Programs, while Assistan Prof. Dr. Gulina YUSUPOVA from the Office of International Relations also took part in the meeting.

The 8th General Assembly of TURKUNIB brought together more than 200 rectors and internationalization representatives from 69 universities across Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Hungary, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Opening speeches were delivered by Hilala UMAROVA, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration for Educational Reforms of the Republic of Uzbekistan; Kongratbay SHARIPOV, Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Innovation of Uzbekistan; Ambassador Kubanıçbek ÖMÜRALİYEV, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS); and Şahin MUSTAFAYEV, President of the Turkic Academy.

During the meeting, significant topics such as the restructuring of the Orhun Exchange Program, the establishment of a Permanent TURKUNIB Secretariat, and the creation of a special fund for the Union were discussed. It was also emphasized that the initiatives to create a “Turkic World Higher Education Area” received strong support from the heads of member states of the Organization of Turkic States.

Throughout the program, the KMU Coordination Office for Internationalization and Orhun Exchange actively represented the university in various sessions, engaging in initiatives aimed at enhancing KMU’s international visibility and deepening academic ties within the Turkic world. In this context, important steps were taken toward new partnerships and joint projects under the framework of the Turkish Universities Union and the Orhun Academic Exchange Program.

This meeting, which aimed to strengthen academic cooperation and promote mobility among students and academics in the Turkic world, represented an important milestone in enhancing the international presence of Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey University.

As KMU, we remain committed to building an integrated future in education through joint projects, exchange programs, and academic collaborations with universities across the Turkic world.