Türk-Alman Üniversitesi | Turkish-German University

If you want to live abroad but study in German and also break new ground, you should go to Istanbul and be one of the first Erasmus students to attend the new campus of the Turkish-German University!

TDU  is  a quite young university: officially opened in 2014 by President of the Federal Republic of Germany Joachim Gauck and Turkish President Abdullah Gül. It is a state university under the Turkish law governing universities, which was financed and set up jointly by the Republic of Turkey and the Federal Republic of Germany under the auspices of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service). It is situated in the Beykoz neighbourhood in the Asian part of the city, and is still in a temporary building until completion of the official campus in the 2016/2017 study year. With a maximum capacity of 5,000 students, TDU  is set to be the largest German university abroad. The fact that the University of Cologne in cooperation with the University of Münster is responsible for setting up and running the Faculty of Economics and Public Administration reflects the close academic exchange with German universities. One third of the lecturers are also German academics. The university also promotes intensive cooperation with Turkish and German companies. The intercultural gearing is clear from the multilingual courses, but German is the main language. The share of international students already stood at above 6% when operations commenced in the winter semester 2013/2014.

Known historically as Constantinople, the city was the European City of Culture in 2010, and in 1985 the historical centre was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The cityscape features palaces and mosques, churches and synagogues, and buildings from Greek and Roman Antiquity alongside modern structures. More than 14 million people live here, and 11 million tourists visit each year. The transit location between both continents and the Black Sea and the Mediterranean is unique, making Istanbul an important hub for transport and logistics both nationally and internationally. In addition to the normal transportation modes such as buses and metros, you can also use a kind of shared taxi known as the Dolmuş, ferries or high-speed boats at a reasonable price (for students with a Transportation Card, some journeys only cost in the region of 40 cents). On average, Istanbul is 28% cheaper than Hamburg, in particular for foodstuffs such as vegetables, fruit or spices, but also for restaurants, clothing and services. By contrast, alcohol, dairy products and meat are comparatively expensive. After her stay in the Turkish metropolis, HSBA student Theresa K. described Istanbul as “an impressive, diverse, exciting and charming city that will fill you with enthusiasm.” “The cultural differences are generally not an obstacle and can easily be overcome with politeness and acceptance”, according to Sarah P., though a few words of Turkish are also helpful.