Erasmus program as a cultural diplomacy tool: The case of Kırşehir Ahi Evran University

In the 21st century we live in, social changes such as the technological innovations brought by the age, the accessibility of instant communication to large masses, the increase in the power of civil society, the increase in people's awareness of democracy, human rights and freedoms have brought international relations to change to a great extent and to keep up with the modern age. In international relations and diplomacy, it is seen that hard power, conflicts, financial and social sanctions, pressure, and coercion methods, which were used more frequently in the past, are being abandoned. Similarly, authoritarian, and harsh approaches in nation-state and nation-nation relations have become increasingly ineffective. Today, international relations are carried out with more society-centered approaches, soft power, public diplomacy, and cultural diplomacy-oriented approaches compared to the past. The European Union, which has a certain economic and political power on a global scale, has accelerated its cultural diplomacy and public diplomacy activities, especially after the 2000s. Erasmus, the large-scale and multinational program of the European Union in the fields of education, youth, culture, and arts, is a successful example of cultural diplomacy. In this study, the public diplomacy activities carried out by the European Union through the Erasmus program were examined by interviewing the students and academic staff from Kırşehir Ahi Evran University. Open-ended questions about Erasmus programs were asked to program participant students and academic staff. With the questions posed, it was tried to understand to what extent the purpose of the European Union to create a positive image on the program participants was achieved. As a sample, 10 students and 10 academic staff who benefited from the Erasmus program were selected.