The opening ceremony of the Eurasian Higher Education Summit (EURIE) 2024, founded and chaired by Assoc. Prof. Mustafa Aydın, the President of the Eurasian Universities Union (EURAS), took place at Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar Congress Center. The opening speech of the largest international education summit in Eurasia, featuring 62 panels and 156 speakers from 67 countries, was delivered by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Aydın, who is also the President of EURAS & EURIE.
Another speaker at the opening ceremony was Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education of Türkiye, who stated, “Universities play a key role in supporting economic development and addressing social challenges as incubators for innovation and entrepreneurship through accelerators, innovation centers, and entrepreneurship programs.”
Other speakers at the opening ceremony included Prof. Oliver Gunther, President of EDUC Europe; Dr. Fernando Leon García, President of IAUP; Prof. Amr Ezzat Salama, Secretary-General of AARU; Prof. Mamoun Mal-Debi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Higher Education in Jordan; Dr. J. Prospero E. De Vera, Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education in the Philippines; Mustafa Gültepe, President of TIM; Kemal Çeber, Governor of Gaziantep; and Mahmut Gürcan, Deputy Minister of Trade.
The 9th edition of the summit brought together over 2,000 rectors, academicians, and entrepreneurs from Turkey as well as collaborative organizations from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The summit aims to continue promoting Turkey’s higher education sector globally, making it an attractive center and increasing academic collaborations in the field.