Evaluation of higher education institutions in terms of Türkiye's soft power elements in Türkiye-Africa relations

The contributions of higher education institutions to Türkiye's national power capacity and foreign policy effectiveness in terms of soft power in Türkiye's relations with African countries were evaluated in this study. For this purpose, how African students coming from African countries and studying in higher education institutions in Türkiye reflect and will reflect their university experiences on the relations between Türkiye and their home countries was investigated. Using phenomenology, one of the qualitative methods, the study discussed how African students make sense of their university experiences in Türkiye at individual, institutional and interstate levels (micro, meso, macro) in the relations between Türkiye and their countries. Purposive sampling, convenience sampling, and snowball sampling methods were used simultaneously in the study and twenty-five university students from different countries in Africa who came to Türkiye for university education were reached. An Interview Form was designed to collect the data of the study and the data were collected through face-to-face interviews. Five-step data analysis model along with deductive and inductive approaches were used eclectically to analyze the data. To ensure the credibility of the study, different strategies such as external expert opinion, participant approval, inviting different experts in the coding process, and using computer software were applied. The study found that factors such as quality of education, religion, culture, economic conditions, living in Türkiye for many years and knowing Turkish are the main reasons why African students wanted to study in Türkiye, that African students have established/will establish individual, institutional and interstate levels (micro, meso, macro) relations between Türkiye and their home countries through their university experience in Türkiye, and that they have played/will play active roles in maintaining these relations. In addition, for African students, accessing quality education, desire to learn Turkish, not having difficulties in religious and cultural issues, and easy accessibility were among the positive aspects of university education in Türkiye while having difficulty in learning Turkish, not knowing Turkish and having communication problems due to the low number of local students and professors who speak a foreign language, issues such as not being able to develop themselves sufficiently for practice due to insufficient laboratory facilities in some engineering departments, encountering difficulties in official transactions such as banks, and difficulties in paying tuition fees for some students were among the negative aspects of university education in Türkiye. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that higher education institutions contribute to Türkiye's soft power in the relations between Türkiye and African countries. Guiding students in their university and department choices, taking measures to help them facilitate their official procedures during their adaptation to Türkiye, and developing more systematic policies to solve their problems due to language barriers through public institutions were recommended in the study.