Journals / Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies / 2026 / Cilt: 6 Sayı: 1

Europeanization and Refugee Integration in Higher Education in Türkiye: The Case of Dokuz Eylül University

Türkiye’de Yükseköğretimde Avrupalılaşma ve Mülteci Entegrasyonu: Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Örneği

Zühal Ünalp Çepel(DOKUZ EYLÜL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İŞLETME FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-2057-5966
Sinem Abka(DOKUZ EYLÜL ÜNİVERSİTESİ, İŞLETME FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0002-2663-8710
Pages
36–55
Publication Date
2026-03-13
🏛️Bibliographic metadata and full text access for this article are provided via DergiPark.
DergiPark Record ↗
✨

AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The study’s findings indicate that mutual prejudices between the two student groups can be reduced by raising awareness of their socio-cultural similarities, which they have developed through socialization.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Türkiye hosts one of the largest refugee populations globally at approximately 2.7 million.
📊
Key Findings & Data:As refugee arrivals increased, the number of refugee students in higher education also rose.
💡
Conclusion & Impact:The study’s findings indicate that mutual prejudices between the two student groups can be reduced by raising awareness of their socio-cultural similarities, which they have developed through socialization.
🔬Design:Araştırma Makalesi
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Avrupalılaşma · Göç · Mülteciler

Abstract

Türkiye hosts one of the largest refugee populations globally at approximately 2.7 million. As refugee arrivals increased, the number of refugee students in higher education also rose. Higher education policies have been shaped by both the Europeanization process and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. As higher education in Türkiye internationalized, integration and campus cohesion became more salient policy concerns. This study contributes to the existing literature on the integration of refugee students who have been displaced to Türkiye, employing Dokuz Eylül University as a case study. It examines bilateral perceptions, learning processes, and interactions of both the host country university staff and students, as well as refugee students. The study’s findings indicate that mutual prejudices between the two student groups can be reduced by raising awareness of their socio-cultural similarities, which they have developed through socialization. It also suggests that the individual experiences and perspectives they have gained can promote harmony in broader community relations.

Özet

Türkiye, yaklaşık 2,7 milyon mülteci ile dünyada en fazla mülteci barındıran ülkelerden biri konumundadır. Bu değişime paralel olarak, yükseköğretim sistemindeki mülteci öğrenci sayısı da artmıştır. Yükseköğretim politikaları, hem Avrupalılaşma süreci hem de Birleşmiş Milletler Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma Hedefleri çerçevesinde şekillenmektedir. Türkiye’de yükseköğretim alanı uluslararasılaştıkça entegrasyon ve kampüs uyumu önemi artan politika alanları haline gelmiştir. Bu çalışma, Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi özelinde Türkiye’ye yerleşmek zorunda kalan mülteci öğrencilerin entegrasyonu konusunda mevcut literatüre anlamlı bir katkı sağlamayı amaçlamaktadır. Çalışma ayrıca, ev sahibi ülke üniversite personeli ve öğrencileri ile mülteci öğrencilerin karşılıklı algılarını, öğrenme süreçlerini ve etkileşimlerini ölçmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışma, iki öğrenci grubu arasındaki karşılıklı önyargıların, sosyalleşme yoluyla geliştirdikleri sosyo-kültürel benzerlikler konusunda farkındalık yaratılarak ortadan kaldırılabileceğini öne sürmektedir. Çalışma ayrıca, edindikleri bireysel deneyimlerin ve bakış açılarının makro düzeyde uyumu teşvik edebileceğini öne sürmektedir.

🔖

Cite This Article

Çepel, Z. Ü., Abka, S. (2026). Europeanization and Refugee Integration in Higher Education in Türkiye: The Case of Dokuz Eylül University. Turkish Journal of Diaspora Studies, Cilt: 6 Sayı: 1, 36–55. https://doi.org/10.52241/tjds.1800248

📄 Full Text PDF Viewer

📄

PDF görüntüleyici hazırlanıyor...

References (37)

  1. Ager, A., & Strang, A. (2008). Understanding integration: A conceptual framework. Journal of Refugee Stud¬ies, 21(2), 166–191. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fen016
  2. Aras, B., & Yasun, S. (2016). The educational opportunities and challenges of Syrian refugee students in Tur¬key: Temporary education centers and beyond. İstanbul Policy Center. https://research.sabanciuniv. edu/id/eprint/29697/1/syrianrefugees.pdf
  3. Badie, B., Berg-Schlosser, D., Morlino, L. (Eds.) (2011). Europeanization of policy. In Interna¬tional encyclopedia of political science, 849-850, SAGE Publications, Inc., https://doi. org/10.4135/9781412959636.n199
  4. Bennett, A. (2002). Case study methods: Design, use, and comparative advantages. In D. F. Sprinz & Y. Wolinsky (Eds.), Cases, number, models: International relations research methods (pp. 27– 65). University of Michigan Press. https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/polisci/faculty/trachtenberg/syllabi%2Clists/harvard/moravcsik%20(sprinz%20wolinsky).pdf
  5. Council of Higher Education. (2024). Number of international students in HEIs. https://istatistik.yok. gov.tr/
  6. Crisp, J. (2004). The local integration and local settlement of refugees: A conceptual and historical anal¬ysis (Working Paper No. 102). UNHCR. https://www.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/legacy-pd¬f/407d3b762.pdf
  7. Çoban, B. ve Gülerce, H. (2023). Zorunlu göç sürecinde sığınmacılar ve yerel üniversite öğrencilerinin ilk karşılaşma deneyimleri. Sosyolojik Bağlam Dergisi, 4(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.52108/ 2757-5942.4.1.1
  8. Erdoğan, A., & Erdoğan, M. M. (2018). Access, qualifications and social dimension of Syrian refugee students in Turkish higher education. In A. Curaj, L. Deca, & R. Pricopi (Eds.), European High¬er Education Area: The Impact of Past and Future Policies. Springer International Publishing.
  9. Erdoğan, M. M. (2015). Türkiye’deki Suriyeliler: Toplumsal Kabul ve Uyum. İstanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi Yayınları.
  10. Erdoğan, M. M., & Çorabatır, M. (2019). Demographical development of the Syrian refugee popula¬tion and its potential impacts on the education, employment and municipality services in Turkey in near future. GIZ Quadra Program. https://en.mmuraterdogan.com/tuerkiyede-ki-suriyeliler? pgid=k91b3yot-7ac2bdd2-42c64e78-b1fb-3cc1832298f3
  11. Ertong Attar, G. & Küçükşen, D. (2019). Somehow familiar but still a stranger: Syrian students in Turkish Higher Education. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 20, 1041-1053, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-018-00647-8
  12. European Education Area. (2022, June 18). Inclusive and connected higher education. https://education. ec.europa.eu/education-levels/higher-education/inclusive-and-connected-higher-education
  13. Güngör Tanç, Ş., Tanç, A., Çardak, D., & Yağlı, İ. (2022). Türkiye’deki üniversitelerin sürdürülebilirlik çalışmalarının incelenmesi. Muhasebe ve Denetime Bakış, 22(66), 83–100.
  14. Gülerce, H., & Çorlu, R. (2021). Yükseköğretimdeki Suriyeli sığınmacı öğrenciler: Uyum ve çatışma alanları. Üsküdar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 12, 71-106.
  15. Gülerce, H., Ağca Varoğlu, F. G., & Gülerce, R. (2024). Kapıları aralamak: Yükseköğretimdeki göçmen ve yerel gençlerin sosyal uyum sürecinde Erasmus+ gençlik değişimlerinin rolü. Yükseköğretim Dergisi, 13(3), 421-434. https://doi.org/10.53478/yuksekogretim.1214564
  16. Hammoud, M. (2025). Pathways to integration and language acquisition: A comparative analysis of refugee children’s social integration and foreign language difficulty in Lebanon and Austral¬ia. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 26, 791–811. https://doi.org/10.1007/ s12134-024-01201-5
  17. Hacettepe University. (2021). Social Cohesion and Syrian Students in Higher Education in Turkey.
  18. Henn, M., Weinstein, M., & Foard, N. (2006). A Short Introduction to Social Research. Sage Publications.
  19. Hohberger, W. (2017). Çalıştay Raporu: Suriyelilerin Türkiye’deki Yükseköğretim Sistemine Entegrasyonu. İs¬tanbul Politikalar Merkezi, Sabancı Üniversitesi, Stiftung Mercator Girişimi.
  20. Hynie, M. (2018). Refugee integration: Research and policy. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 24 (3), 265–276. https://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000326
  21. Kaya, A. (2020). Migration as a leverage tool in international relations: Turkey as a case study. Uluslararası 55 İlişkiler, 17(68), 21–39. https://doi.org/10.33458/uidergisi.856870
  22. Kaya, G. (2022, September 29). Üniversitelerdeki mülteci öğrenciler çalıştayı. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi, İşletme Fakültesi, İzmir.
  23. Memişoğlu, F., & Yavçan, B. (2020). Beyond ideology – A comparative analysis of how local governance can expand national integration policy: The case of Syrian refugees in Istanbul. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2020.1819780
  24. Neuman, W. L. (2007). Basics of Social Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches. Pearson Education.
  25. Onursal-Beşgül, Ö. (2017). Translating norms from Europe to Turkey: Turkey in the Bologna Process. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, 47(5), 742–755. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2016.1273094
  26. Pistoia, E. (2018). Social integration of refugees and asylum seekers through the exercise of socio-eco¬nomic rights in European Union law, European Papers, 3(2), 781-807. https://doi.org/10. 15166/2499-8249/255
  27. PODEM (Public Policy and Democracy Studies Association). (2020). Values, interactions, and aspirations: Understanding university-level youth in Turkey and Europe. PODEM Publications.
  28. Reindl, M., Auer, T. & Gniewosz, B. (2022). Social integration in higher education and development of intrinsic motivation: A latent transition analysis. Frontiers in Psychology. 13:877072. https://doi. org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.877072
  29. Saleem, A., Kausar, H., & Deeba, F. (2021). Social constructivism: A new paradigm in teaching and learning environment. Perennial Journal of History, 2(2), 403–421. https://doi.org/10.52700/ pjh.v2i2.86
  30. Smith, S. (1999) Social constructivisms and European studies: A reflectivist critique. Journal of European Public Policy, 6, 682–691. https://doi.org/10.1080/135017699343540
  31. Suklun, H., & Bengü, E. (2024). Raising awareness of sustainable development goals in higher education institutions. Research in Educational Administration & Leadership, 9 (1).
  32. T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı Göç İdaresi Genel Müdürlüğü. (2018). Uyum strateji belgesi ve ulusal eylem planı 2018–2023. https://www.goc.gov.tr/kurumlar/goc.gov.tr/Yayinlar/UYUM-STRATEJI/ Uyum-Strateji-Belgesi-ve-Ulusal-Eylem-Plani.pdf
  33. T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı Göç İdaresi Genel Müdürlüğü. (2024). 2024-2028 Stratejik Planı, https://www. goc.gov.tr/kurumlar/goc.gov.tr/Kurumsal/Stratejik-Yonetim/Stratejik-Plan/2024/Stratejik-Plan- 2024_2028.pdf
  34. Ünalp Çepel, Z., Abka, S., & Durmuşlar, T. (2021). Integration process of Syrian migrants following the EU-Turkey readmission agreement: Case of Syrian university students in Izmir. Uluslararası Anadolu Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 5(1), 127–149.
  35. UNHCR. (2025). Mid-Year Trends 2025. https://www.unhcr.org/media/mid-year-trends-2025
  36. Yıldız, A. (Ed.). (2019). Integration of refugee students in European higher education: Comparative country cases. Yaşar University Publications.
  37. Yılmaz Fındık, L., & Erçetin, S. S. (2023). How do universities in Türkiye integrate sustainable de¬velopment goals into their strategies? Sustainability, 15(16799). https://doi.org/10.3390/ su152416799