Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın attended the first day of the international forum titled “Quality in English Medium Instruction Forum – A Decade of Progress and the Road Ahead,” organized in cooperation with Samsun University, the British Council, The Open University, and the University of Oxford.

Held at Samsun University’s Ballıca Campus, the forum evaluated the transformations experienced over the past decade in the field of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in higher education. The event was organized within the scope of the tenth anniversary of the report titled “The State of English in Higher Education in Turkey,” published by the British Council in 2015.

The forum brought together university administrators from Türkiye and different countries, as well as academics specializing in the field of EMI.

The forum was attended by President of ÖSYM Prof. Dr. Bayram Ali Ersoy, OMU Rector Prof. Dr. Fatma Aydın, Samsun University Rector Prof. Dr. Mahmut Aydın, British Council Türkiye Director Denise Waddingham, Prof. Dr. Ernesto Macaro from the University of Oxford, Amasya University Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hakkı Turabi, Ordu University Rector Prof. Dr. Orhan Baş, and Hitit University Rector Prof. Dr. Ali Osman Öztürk, along with senior administrators and a large number of academics.

In the opening speeches, issues such as language assessment and evaluation processes, the institutional handling of academic English, and the quality assurance dimension of EMI practices came to the forefront. ÖSYM President Prof. Dr. Bayram Ali Ersoy shared information on current efforts related to measuring foreign language proficiency and drew attention to the role of higher education institutions in this process.

Development of students’ academic language proficiency and quality assurance addressed

In the presentations and panels held during the forum, topics including the adequacy of preparatory education, the pedagogical dimensions of EMI programs, support for teaching staff, development of students’ academic language proficiency, and quality assurance mechanisms were discussed comprehensively. International speakers emphasized that EMI is a multidimensional transformation process that goes beyond merely delivering courses in English.

Impact of AI-supported learning models on EMI processes discussed

In the panels held in the second half of the day, discussions focused on the development of EMI practices in Türkiye over the past decade, structural challenges encountered, policy development based on equity and fairness, and the impact of AI-supported learning models on EMI processes. Academic quality assurance, data-driven planning, and the importance of institutional collaborations were among the prominent themes.

The first day of the forum concluded with an intensive academic program in which English Medium Instruction in higher education was addressed from the perspectives of policy, quality, pedagogical practices, and internationalization.