Representation of International Students: Student Mobility from the Middle East to Turkey

Abstract

This chapter discusses international student mobility (ISM) and representation of international students in Turkish higher education context. Unlike the traditional study-abroad destinations across the world, with the rapid growth of ISM in the last two decades, some countries have emerged as regional hubs for their nearby territories. As one of those countries, Turkey is a regional study-abroad country for the Middle East countries. With its own distinctive historical, political, cultural and economic proximities with the Middle East and Europe, Turkey attracts international students from the Middle East countries. The respective relationships lead to the formation of distinctive international student population. From this point of view, this chapter focuses on two questions; how Turkey’s relationships with Middle East and Europe affect the construction of international students and what kinds of local challenges exist for this construction.