Fostering Global Learning: Visit from Anadolu University Leadership

We were honoured to host Aras Bozkurt, Dean of the Open Education Faculty at Anadolu University in Türkiye, for a three-day visit this month. The visit opened meaningful discussions about bringing accessible learning opportunities to our community and strengthening collaboration in online education.

Dr. Bozkurt, a leading researcher in distance education, online learning, and educational technology, applies critical learning theories such as connectivism, rhizomatic learning, and heutagogy in his work. His research also explores emerging areas like AI in education, social network analysis, and data mining, reflecting a commitment to advancing modern learning practices. He serves as Editor-in-Chief for Open Praxis and the Asian Journal of Distance Education, among other prestigious editorial roles.

During his visit, we hosted two radio interviews and a dinner meeting with Turkish NGO leaders at our iYouth Hall, creating space for dialogue on how the Australian Muslim community can engage with Anadolu University’s Open Education initiatives. Following this preliminary meeting, the Chancellor of Anadolu University is expected to visit soon to finalise a memorandum of understanding, which may allow some of their online courses to be offered locally to Australian students.

The visit was an inspiring opportunity to learn from global leaders in education, explore cross-cultural approaches, and gain insights from international implementations, reinforcing GTCF’s commitment to fostering accessible and innovative learning opportunities for our community.