Internationalization strategy of universities in the Aegean Region: The role of international relations offices

In this study, the roles played by the international relations offices of the universities in the Aegean region in the process of internationalization are discussed within the framework of the process approach. In this study, which adopts a phenomenological qualitative research design, in-depth interviews were conducted with 7 international relations office managers, who were selected with a purposive sampling method, conducting the internationalization processes of the universities in the study group about their internationalization experiences. The interviews analyzed through the use of the content analysis method. The findings of the study show that international relations offices have an important role in the internationalization process. However, in order to carry out an effective activity, it is necessary to provide management support to the offices and to coordinate the units. On the other hand, the study draws attention to the problems such as foreign language, political reasons and physical conditions encountered in the process of internationalization and proposes various solutions for these problems. Keywords: Internationalization, Process Approach, International Relations Office