The "International Symposium on Teaching Turkish and the Role of Turkish Culture in Intercultural Communication" Organized in Collaboration with Our University Was Held in Cologne
09.12.2025
The International Symposium on Teaching Turkish and the Role of Turkish Culture in Intercultural Communication (UTÖKİS), organized through the cooperation of the Turkish-German University, the Yunus Emre Institute, and the Turkish Language Association (TDK), took place on December 6–7, 2025, in Cologne, Germany. Attended by expert academics from Turkey and Europe, the symposium addressed current research in the fields of teaching Turkish as a foreign language, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural communication within a scientific framework.
The event commenced with an opening program featuring high-level representatives from the host organizations: our University, the Yunus Emre Institute, and the Turkish Language Association. In his opening keynote, our Rector, Prof. Dr. Cemal Yıldız, discussed the ongoing efforts to support the international development of the Turkish language. He also introduced the "Teacher Training Program" currently being implemented at our university and invited academics to collaborate within our newly established departments.
Following the opening remarks, our Vice-Rector, Prof. Dr. Aysel Uzuntaş, served as session chair and presented her paper titled "Intercultural Skills and Effective Communication in Teaching Turkish as a Foreign Language."
The program featured numerous presentations covering a wide range of themes, including:
- Language teaching and bilingualism
- Cultural heritage
- Artificial intelligence applications
- Intercultural communication
UTÖKİS has established itself as a significant platform for academic cooperation, aligned with the goals of contributing to the teaching of Turkish at an international level and strengthening the global promotion of Turkish culture.
