Short Description

Izmir University of Economics, the first foundation university in the Aegean Region, was officially established on April 14, 2001 and has since become one of the most preferred universities in Turkey. Today, it comprises 8 faculties, 2 schools, 3 vocational schools, and a Graduate School. The University has also been awarded institutional accreditation by the Higher Education Quality Council of Turkey (THEQC). The University’s mission is to enhance societal welfare and to support social, economic, and environmental sustainability through innovative and transformative education, high-quality knowledge production, and strong social engagement. Its vision is to be a university that generates creative and transformative solutions for sustainable living. The University’s core values include academic freedom, equity, reliability, accountability and transparency, creativity and innovation, as well as health, well-being, and solidarity. Izmir University of Economics maintains collaboration agreements with 3,252 companies. Through these partnerships, students have extensive opportunities for internships and subsequent employment at highly reputable organizations both in Turkey and abroad. Forty-one of these partner companies are international firms. Benefiting from the University’s broad global network, students successfully represent both the institution and Turkey across the world.

Contact Person

Aynur Yürekli obtained her Bachelor’s degree in ELT from Anadolu University, her Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Bilkent University, and her PhD in ELT form Anadolu University. She has over 30 years of experience in teaching and teacher training. She is a qualified CELTA tutor, and currently working as a Professor at İzmir University of Economics, School of Foreign Languages. Besides publishing articles, she has edited many course books for undergraduate English courses. She has been involved in research abroad as a visiting professor, focusing on quality of education at higher institutions. She is a board member for quality assurance in her institution, and also is a trained DEDAK reviewer. Aynur Yürekli has been involved in national and international projects, and has also been the coordinator of the JoinMe2 Erasmus+ project focusing on inclusive education.

Prof. Dr. Nesrin Oruç Ertürk is the Program Head of the MA in English Language Teaching at İzmir University of Economics. With over twenty-five years of experience in ELT and teacher education, she has taught and conducted research in Turkey, the United States, and Europe. A former Fulbright scholar at the State University of New York and long-term adjunct faculty at the University of Maryland Global Campus, her research interests include teacher professional identity, inclusive education, lifelong learning, and language assessment. She has coordinated and participated in numerous EU-funded Erasmus+ projects and has published extensively in international journals and edited volumes. Prof. Oruç Ertürk also serves on several international editorial and advisory boards.

Asst. Prof. Dr. Bahar Gün holds BA, MA, and PhD degrees in English Language Teaching (ELT). She is currently a lecturer and teacher trainer at the School of Foreign Languages (SFL) at Izmir University of Economics (IUE), where she previously served as the head of the Teacher Development Unit. Her research interests focus on EFL teacher education, with particular emphasis on teacher cognition and Reflective Teaching and Learning. She is also a CELTA tutor. She has presented at numerous national and international conferences and has published extensively in the field of ELT. She is the founding president of TESOL Türkiye Association, a former joint coordinator of IATEFL TTEdSIG, the current joint coordinator of TESOL Türkiye TEDSIG, and an executive board member of DEDAK, the national language programs accreditation agency in Türkiye.

Prof. Dr. Evrim Ustunluoglu has a vast amount of experience as an instructor, advisor to the rector, the dean of students, the director of School of Foreign Languages, teacher trainer, and also a researcher. Her qualifications include MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Ph.D. in Educational Sciences. She has publications in national/international journals, and has been awarded scholarships as a researcher and visiting scholar abroad. She has taken part in many national and international projects as a trainer, project partner and project manager. Her expertise and interests are quality in higher education, program development in ELT, and methodology in ELT.  She is the founding member of TESOL TÜRKİYE, TESOL TÜRKİYE LAMSIG and DEDAK (national accreditation association). She has been the CEA accreditation  reviewer for seven years.