A delegation from Germany's Federal Ministry of Health visited Istinye University and held discussions with the university administration regarding collaboration in the healthcare sector. During the visit, collaboration opportunities and new regulations related to facilitating the employment of graduates in Germany's healthcare sector were discussed. Rector Prof. Dr. İbiş stated, "We should make the visa and recognition processes easier for our students and make language learning more appealing. We view this as a long-term partnership. The model that will emerge from mutual understanding in our joint efforts will be a pioneering project for our country."
A delegation consisting of members from Germany's Federal Ministry of Health and the consulate visited Istinye University. The delegation, which toured the University’s Vadi Main Campus, gathered information by visiting the library, educational laboratories, and R&D laboratories. Afterwards, the delegation visited Liv Hospital and held a special meeting with Rector Prof. Dr. Erkan İbiş and the university administration. The German delegation made a presentation about the “Gütesiegel” certification program. Among the agenda items for the Istinye University delegation were diploma recognition, language education support, and visa barriers related to Erasmus mobility.
The university's future vision and goals were shared with the German delegation
Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Hatice Gülen made a presentation about Istinye University. In her presentation, Gülen discussed the establishment and development of Istinye University, the establishment of the Technology Transfer Office (TTO), the importance of R&D activities, and the establishment of the 'Entrepreneurship and Incubation Center'. She shared information about the university’s campuses and physical facilities, as well as projects, patents, and collaborations. She also provided insights into clinical research conducted in hospitals and the clinical studies carried out with pharmaceutical companies. Additionally, education accreditations, award ceremonies, and the university's future vision and goals were shared with the German delegation.
“A young, transparent, enlightened, and progressive university”
During the meeting, a partnership to facilitate employment in Medicine and Healthcare Services in Germany and new regulations regarding employment processes were discussed. Parliamentary Undersecretary Prof. Dr. Edgar Franke stated, “We visited the hospital and the university. It is a very young, transparent, enlightened, and progressive university. We saw a campus that we highly respect. We highly appreciate the university and hospital established here.”
“We must simplify visa and equivalency processes for our students”
Prof. Dr. Erkan İbiş, Rector of Istinye University, stated, “We see this as a long-term partnership,” and continued:
“Different models should be created to make employment in Germany more attractive. Doctors and nurses trained here can also find jobs in Turkey. We must simplify the visa and equivalency processes for our students and make language learning more attractive. We see this as a long-term partnership. The model that will emerge from the joint efforts we will establish with mutual understanding will be a pioneering initiative for our country.”
“We can facilitate this process with the partnership we have established with the university”
Dr. Roland Jopp, Head of the Foreign Expert Personnel Department of the Federal Ministry of Health, delivered a presentation during the visit. Dr. Jopp shared information regarding employment, stating, “The statistics of healthcare personnel coming from abroad were 8,376 in 2016, and it will reach 30,882 by 2025. Every year, about 50,000 people apply to study in these fields.” He pointed out that the employment in this sector has been largely supported by foreign nurses and added:
“The use of expert reports from healthcare professions and the waiver of equivalency review facilitate employment without the need for equivalency checks. If it is determined that the courses and accreditation are equivalent in some universities, equivalency is not required for personnel recruitment. Fair, ethical, and sustainable recruitment of workers is ensured by considering WHO, ILO, IOM, and IRIS standards. For nurses, B2 German is required, and for doctors, C1 German is required. Legal regulations have been introduced for fair worker recruitment in Germany’s healthcare sector. Nurses and doctors trained in Turkey will also be an important resource for the Turkish community living in Germany. We can facilitate this process directly through the partnership we have established with the university.”
This important visit contributed to strengthening the collaboration between Istinye University and the German Ministry of Health, while offering new opportunities for graduates to play a more active role in the international healthcare sector. The discussions and proposed solutions laid the foundation for steps that will support the employment of qualified human resources in the healthcare field.
