Turkic Universities Union: An Alternative to the European Higher Education Area?

The recent foreign policy literature commonly discusses Turkiye’s departure from its pro-Western orientation in favor of an Eastern pivot (Çolakoğlu, 2019; Tüysüzoğlu, 2023). This shift has led to increased collaboration between Turkiye and non-western countries, such as an 87% increase in trade with Russia (Bourcier, 2022). This reorientation has also affected higher education. In 2013, during a summit in Istanbul, the Turkic Universities Union (TUU) was established, which includes 43 universities from Azerbaijan, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkiye, and Uzbekistan (TUU, 2024a). Led by Turkiye, it was announced that the Turkish Union of Universities (TUU) aimed to bring together countries with a common language, history, and culture. In line with this aim, offering common literature, linguistic, and history courses in the member states' universities is among the expected activities of the Union. However, upon closer examination, it is evident that the aims include the mobility of students and staff, a common credit transfer system, and the recognition of prior learning and certifications among the member countries' universities (TUU, 2024b). Although not explicitly stated, these aims are all implementations of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). In a time of shifting foreign policy in Turkiye towards Eurasia, Turkiye is seeking alternatives to Western alliances. Recent topics on Turkiye’s agenda include joining BRICS (a union of countries including Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) instead of the European Union (EU), and leaving the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to join the Russia and China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) (Tekines, 2024; Uras, 2022). By analyzing official documents from TUU, this qualitative case study explores the real reasons behind the launch of this regional Turkiye -led higher education area, the methods used to implement EHEA initiatives, and whether TUU could be a potential alternative for Turkiye and other member states to the EHEA.