Students from various countries pursuing undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees at Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMÜ) under the scope of the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) "Turkey Scholarships" program, visited Şahinkaya Canyon in the district of Vezirköprü together with Samsun Governor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zülkif Dağlı and OMÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal.

Governor Dağlı, Rector Ünal, and Vezirköprü Mayor İbrahim Sadık Edis welcomed the international students from different departments and programs during the trip, organized for the students to both socialize and bond with each other, as well as spending a weekend immersed in nature.

OMÜ International Relations Unit Director Prof. Dr. Mustafa Said Kurşunoğlu, YTB Provincial Representative and Faculty Member of Yaşar Doğu Faculty of Sports Sciences Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yener Aksoy, Deputy Director of the International Relations Unit and ERASMUS Institutional Coordinator Dr. Research Assistant Mehmet Tütüncü also participated in the event.

Türkiye's second largest water canyon

Students explored Şahinkaya Canyon, located on the Kızılırmak River and known as Türkiye's second-largest water canyon with its natural beauty, and expressed their admiration and satisfaction.

Mayor Edis: "Şahinkaya Canyon, which was declared a 'Nature Park' in 2015, is a touristic destination and hosts various sports activities."

After the Şahinkaya Canyon tour, as the excursion group gathered at the Şahinkaya Canyon Nature Park Camping Area, Vezirköprü Mayor İbrahim Sadık Edis expressed his pleasure in hosting the international students. He emphasized that the canyon and its surroundings are an important tourism asset in Turkey, being declared a "Nature Park" in 2015 and hosting various sports activities. Mayor Edis also shared information with the students about the touristic benefits that the canyon brings to the district.

Samsun Governor Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zülkif Dağlı expressed his happiness in being together with international students and thanked OMÜ and Vezirköprü Municipality for the trip that promoted Şahinkaya Canyon to international students.

Rector Ünal: "OMU is a is seen as a laboratory of Türkiye"

Speaking about OMU's internationalization perspective, Rector Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal addressed the students with the following words:

"It is a great chance for you and us that you are in Samsun. You are in a city and university that will create beautiful touches, friendships and horizons for your life. In this sense, OMU is a university that seems to be the laboratory of Türkiye. As a matter of fact, it has around 5,500 international students from different countries. You have come here with some dreams, but also your families, the countries you belong to and humanity have expectations from you. What we want from you is to educate yourselves at a high level, to graduate as knowledgeable and well-equipped as possible, and to return to your country with this education. We hope that you will contribute to your own family, nation and culture, as well as to the welfare, peace and development of your country."

"Consider the university years as the opportunity of a lifetime"

Rector Ünal emphasized that OMU will meet all kinds of demands of international students in terms of education and training, and continued: "The period you are in is the best time to learn about Türkiye and Turkish culture, the world, the development, problems and technology in the world, especially through student communities and activities. Consider the university years as the opportunity of your life. This period is a camp of your life, and you have to find a balance of everything by studying, travelling and seeing during these years."

The trip ended with a souvenir photo shoot.