TURKEY: Growth in foreign academic numbers

Little more than a decade ago, the number of foreign academics at Turkish universities would scarcely have been enough to hold a good panel discussion. Today, they could staff an entire major institution in the United States, reports the Hürriyet Daily News.

The more than 1,300 new faces at Turkish universities have been drawn to the country by a combination of increased opportunities in Turkey, and fewer ones at home. According to statistics from the Higher Education Board, or YÖK, there are currently 1,310 foreign instructors and professors working in Turkey, many of them in Istanbul - almost 60% more than there were five years ago.

The rapidly accelerating growth of wealthy new private universities, set up by foundations as required by Turkish law, has also contributed to the boom in foreign academics. But whether the schools are drawing new talent with their high quality, rather than just their ample funding, is a subject of debate.
Full report on the Hürriyet Daily News site