By Ebubekir Yahya
Zakiya Mabruck Mohammed, a Tanzanian studying political science and administration at the University of Ankara Yildirim Beyazit, had always wanted to study abroad.
Hearing from fellow Tanzanians about the quality of higher and technical education on offer in Türkiye for a fraction of what a similar degree would cost elsewhere in the western world made her decision an easy one.
That Türkiye's visa process remains seamless and less restrictive for education compared to countries like the US, UK and Germany was the clincher.
"Am glad to be experiencing every bit of what I had heard – from qualitative education to the hospitality of Turks towards Tanzanian and other African students in Turkiye," Zakiya tells TRT Afrika.
Many African students benefit from Türkiye's blossoming relationship with Africa, a process that began in the 1960s as countries across the continent started gaining independence from colonial powers.
Vibrant scholarship
With better diplomatic relations leading to bilateral agreements and increased cooperation in different sectors, education gradually emerged as the priority.
In the beginning, Türkiye would give out scholarships to African students as part of bilateral agreements. Since 2010, when the government established YTB to take care of Turks in diaspora and other communities, scholarships for African students and those from other parts of the world have been administered by the agency.
Students from countries like Nigeria, Niger, Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon, Ghana, Uganda, Tunisia and many more are increasingly coming toTürkiye for higher education.
While opening a Turkish Maarif Research Centre at the University of Pretoria in South Africa in January 2023, Turkish minister of foreign affairs Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said, "Nearly 61,000 students from the African continent are studying in Türkiye, many of them through Türkiye's scholarships programme."
Prof Yunus Turhan of the department of international relations at the University of Ankara attributes the constant stream of students coming to Türkiye from the continent to the vibrant scholarship programme run through agencies like YTB, TIKA and even non-governmental organisations.
According to YTB agency, there are about 148, 000 international students in Türkiye with 25,000 of them benefiting from the country's scholarship programme.
Conducive atmosphere
While speaking at the graduation ceremony of students from the YTB scholarship programme in 2022, agency head Abdullah Eren said 2,325 students from 107 countries had graduated during the year.
Nigerian Yasmin Aisha Ahmed, a postgraduate student of community health at the University of Dokuzeylul in Izmir, calls the YTB scholarship life-changing in terms of her academic journey.
"I couldn't be happier to secure the Turkish government's scholarship, which covers tuition fee, accommodation, health insurance and a monthly stipend," she says.
According to figures released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2019, Turkiye was ranked 33 among members in terms of hosting foreign students.
The ranking doesn't quite reflect the giant strides made by the country in developing its higher education compared to its counterparts.
Education alliance
Türkiye has steadily increased its number of universities over the years, brought in qualified lecturers, raised the standard of pedagogy, incorporated research tools and generally created an atmosphere conducive to teaching.
Alongside this, it has strengthened its relationship with other countries through attractive educational scholarships.
Dr. Aliyu Tilde, an education administrator in Nigeria, explains why students from his country prefer Turkiye to other European countries for higher studies.
"The first reason is Türkiye and Nigeria are both developing countries and also members of the D8. Furthermore, their similarities in terms of religion plays a role in strengthening their educational alliance,'' he tells TRT Afrika.
''In addition, the two countries once underwent Islamic rejuvenation —what is Turkiye today was once the heart of Ottoman empire, and part of what is Nigeria today used to be the heart of the Sokoto caliphate," he says.
When the Turkish President visited Nigeria in 2016, a bilateral agreement on cooperation in different sectors included education. "These are also part of the things that encourage students from Nigeria to study in Türkiye," Tilde says.
Prof Turhan believes that African students choose to study in Türkiye because the country has been spreading its influence across the continent in the last 20 years. "African students want to go and study in Turkiye because of the stronger bond between the country and their continent."
Turhan also sees affordable cost of living compared to other countries in Eastern Europe as being a pull factor for African students. "Being the gateway to Europe is part of the reason why Türkiye is now the hub of African students," he says.
Easy access
Many students also appreciate the efficiency of Turkiye's healthcare system, which they say is one of several reasons that make the country a preferred destination for young people from Africa looking for quality international education without having to run themselves to the ground.
As of 2022, there were 208 universities in Türkiye, both public and private, and including some that are ranked among the best in the world.
Tuition fees in Turkish universities are far cheaper than in most of Europe. In public institutions, the gap is pronounced even compared to private universities within the country.
Annual tuition fees for foreign students in Türkiye's public schools do not go above $500 for many courses, excluding degrees in medicine. In private institutions, tuition fees start from $2,000 and go up to $10,000 for non-medical courses. Course fees for medicine in private universities range from $15,000 to $30,000.
Tilde believes that easy access to visas also encourages students to opt for Turkiye as their study destination. "If you look at some countries like the UK, US and Germany, the conditions they set for student visas are stricter compared to that of Turkiye. It's a no-brainer for many students to choose a country with the easier process," he says.
Nigeria's Yasmin Aisha Ahmed, who did her masters degree at the University of Hacettepe in Ankara, wants more Africans to come to Türkiye.
"I would really advise students from abroad to come and study in Turkiye. Tuition fees and cost of living are reasonable here compared to some European countries. This is an opportunity for everyone, which means one doesn't need to be affluent to come and study abroad."
Muhammad Sani Yahaya, an architecture student at the private University of Altinbas, says he decided to come to Türkiye on realising that the country had excellent teaching standards in the course he long wanted to pursue.
"I believe every African student who has the chance should come and study in Turkiye. From what I understand, and saw with my eyes, Türkiye's education system is top-notch, and there are opportunities that aren't available in other countries."
Opportunities
Türkiye has established a policy for the benefit of foreign students that allows them to stay in the country for up to a year after graduating to search for jobs or other opportunities. This serves as an avenue to gain experience in the country's dynamic work environment.
Even while studying, many students, especially those doing their master's and PhDs, get opportunities to work in the country. Some teach the languages they are good at, particularly English, in primary and secondary schools. Others work as interpreters in different companies or with business people.
"Students have the opportunities to work with businesses and export products from Türkiye to their countries. They play a crucial role as they understand Turkish and the languages of their countries, which helps businesses collaborate and grow," says Yahaya.
Overall, Türkiye well on its way to becoming the educational centre of choice for foreign students, especially those from Africa. The combination of hospitality towards countries across the continent, excellent universities, affordable tuition fees and low cost of living is clearly hard to beat.
