A Finnish Student in Ankara: An Erasmus+ Experience

I am Claudia, international relations student from Tampere University and the current intern for the Finnish military attaché in Ankara. Last year I did my Erasmus exchange in the Middle East Technical University, METU (in Turkish ODTÜ, Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi) in Ankara and since Türkiye is still not well known in Finland, I would love to share my experience.

Türkiye is a fairly easy destination for Finns since it is part of the Erasmus network, right on the edge of Europe and accessible without a visa. I have visited Türkiye countless times in my childhood and am also focusing my studies in Turkish politics, so the decision to do my exchange in METU was very straightforward. Türkiye is also an amazing cultural experience with amazing travel destinations, delicious food and kind-hearted people.

METU itself is one of the most respected universities in Türkiye, mostly focusing on technical fields but as you can tell from my background, other fields are also taught there. All of the courses are taught in English and for me, METU offered a variety of courses I could not find in Finland. My courses touched on topics such as Turkish foreign policy, Turkish language and Middle-Eastern politics. It was also a special experience compared to doing my exchange in Central or Western Europe like many of my peers, since I had the privilege to meet and be-friend other students from different backgrounds from all over the world.

A big difference from Finnish universities is the beautiful campus and vibrant campus life offered by METU. Many students live in dormitories and most services can be found right on campus. I also shared a dormitory room with two Turkish students, which was a surprisingly nice experience. Also, various culture, art and sport societies are active on the campus, and sport facilities are accessible for students and alumni. I joined the METU Swimming team and even participated in Turkish university championships with them.

Regarding student life, the most important thing in METU is an amazingly active Erasmus+ organization, which organizes various events and trips throughout the semester. Erasmus events were also the main channel of meeting other international students, which is why an active organization was a huge benefit for my exchange experience. Thanks to this organization, I met some of my dearest international friends and visited cities like Cappadocia, Amasra and İzmir.

Needless to say, I enjoyed my exchange and living in Türkiye greatly, which is why I applied for internship here and will also return to METU for another exchange semester later this year. I think Türkiye is a great place to experience a different culture fairly close to home and after Finland’s accession to NATO there will definitely be demand for Türkiye knowledge and understanding.