Visit to Kocaeli University
From 1 to 9 October 2025, prof. Aleksander Sładkowski visited Kocaeli University (Izmit, Turkey) as part of the Erasmus+ STT academic mobility programme. A bilateral agreement was signed between the Silesian University of Technology and Kocaeli University this spring, and this visit was one of the first steps towards strengthening cooperation between the universities. Like many Turkish universities, Kocaeli University is multidisciplinary. Its 19 faculties include the Faculty of Dentistry, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Theology and the Faculty of Medicine. The Silesian University of Technology may be interested in collaborating with faculties of similar profiles, including the Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics; the Faculty of Engineering; the Faculty of Technology; the Maritime Faculty; the Faculty of Communication; the Faculty of Architecture and Design; and the Faculty of Management.
A distinct advantage of this Turkish university is its relatively convenient location, as its campus is located in Izmit, the capital of Kocaeli Province. It is 132 km by motorway from Istanbul International Airport, which has regular flights to several Polish airports.
Prof. A. Sładkowski's discussions with Kocaeli University's senior officials responsible for international cooperation demonstrated the Turkish side's interest in intensifying cooperation. Furthermore, all Polish proposals, such as double diploma programs, Erasmus student and faculty mobility, participation in joint capacity-building projects, and joint research projects, were fully supported. Dr. Vasyl Mamray, Head of the International Relations Department at Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University, who has extensive experience interacting with Turkish universities, also participated in the negotiations with the Turkish side.
Prof. A. Sładkowski meeting with colleagues responsible for international cooperation (from left to right): prof. Aleksander Sładkowski; prof. Muslum Arici, Coordinator of the International Relations Department, Kocaeli University; Tuba Akman, Institutional Coordinator of the Erasmus+ program, International Relations Department, Kocaeli University; dr. Vasyl Mamray, Head of the International Relations Department, Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University
Prof. A. Sładkowski's meetings with colleagues and students at the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics were highly informative and useful. His Turkish colleagues presented their scientific achievements and showed them their teaching and research laboratories. Potential joint research, publications, and joint grants were discussed. The Turkish colleagues expressed great interest in participating in the "Transport Problems" Congress in 2026.
Prof. Shaban Hakan Atapek (second from left) greets guests at the entrance to the Faculty of Engineering
Meeting of prof. A. Sładkowski with students and doctoral students of the Faculty of Engineering in one of the teaching laboratories
At the entrance to one of the buildings of the Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics (from left to right): prof. Satilmiş Ürgün; prof. Aleksander Sładkowski; prof. Sinan Fidan; prof. Mustafa Özgür Bora
In the aircraft engine laboratory of the Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics
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