Education Department
Yunus Emre Institute Education Department maintains and supports the activities for teaching Turkish as a foreign language at the Turkish cultural centers operating in diverse parts of the world as well as at other organizations. In line with this objective, the Department develops curricula and materials for different age groups as needed in the international arena, and organizes certificate programs, in-service training seminars and workshops for creating teaching environments, determining educational standards and raising teaching staff.
It is responsible for the preparation and administration of all exams in the field of teaching Turkish as a foreign language, particularly including the certificate and placement tests given at the cultural centers. The Turkish Proficiency Exam (TYS), administered on paper and in a web-based manner to measure the level of Turkish proficiency in international standards, is prepared in cooperation with expert institutions and academics and is held at home and abroad. It provides assistance to the implementation of the Foreign Student Exam (YÖS) and similar practices.
It engages in cooperation with universities in order to promote Turkish language, culture and art and provide services abroad to the volunteers who intend to be trained in this area. In this context, the Turkology Project Cooperation Protocol is made with universities to support the existing departments and open up new departments. Under the Protocol, lectures from Turkey are assigned to the Turkology and Turkish Language and Literature departments, and curricula and material support is provided to them; in this way, efforts are made to ensure more qualified and continuous education is given at these departments.
The Department's responsibilities also include the inclusion of Turkish as an optional foreign language at the state schools aboard and cooperation with the institutions and organizations operating in the field of teaching Turkish as a foreign language.
Turkish summer schools are organized every year to help numerous foreign students invited from different countries improve their Turkish and learn more about the Turkish culture.
Head of Department: Prof. Dr. Şaban KÖKTÜRK