467 ınt'l students receive dıplomas in Istanbul ceremony

A total of 467 university and high school students from 47 countries across five continents who completed their education in various cities of Turkey received their diplomas in a huge ceremony held in Istanbul's Halic Congress Center on Tuesday. The 11th International Graduation Ceremony was organized jointly by the Cihan International Student and Culture Federation and the Baran International Student and Culture Federation. The opening speech of the ceremony was given by Cihan International Student and Culture Federation President Mehmet Sukru Donmez, who congratulated all the students. Highlighting the importance of international dialogue and interaction, Donmez stated that international students carry great importance in terms of establishing strong inter-cultural bonds across the world. He added: "The travel of students between countries is very important. However, necessary resolutions to the possible problems that these international students may encounter during their education experiences in foreign countries should be generated by the government of the host country. Language problems should be addressed by providing language-teaching courses. Accommodation opportunities should be provided; nutrition requirements should be met and scholarships should be provided for international students in need. Social and cultural integration of those students should be supported. All these activities mentioned are the activities being conducted by the Cihan and Baran federations." Donmez also stated that both the Cihan and Baran federations organize tours, symposiums and sports activities to integrate international students with the Turkish public as well as provide opportunities to those international students to introduce their own cultures. He said their intention in doing this is to support global peace. Awards of honor were given to businessmen who provide scholarships to international students in Turkey. The graduating students presented the awards to the businessmen. The ceremony started with a performance by a Caucasian folk dance group and continued with songs and poems read and sung by foreign students. Students with academic distinction were awarded with gifts during the ceremony. The message of brotherhood and intercultural dialogue between people living in various parts of the world was promoted throughout the gathering.