Anadolu University (Turkish: Anadolu Üniversitesi) is a public university in Eskişehir, Turkey. Anadolu University Distance Education Faculty (or Anadolu University Global Campus) serves as the national provider of distance education and is a member of the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities. The university offers a range of educational programs, both on-campus and through distance education.
Anadolu University originated from the Eskişehir Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences, established in 1958.[4] It was officially formed in 1982 through the amalgamation of four higher education institutions: the Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences, the State Academy of Architecture and Engineering, the Institute of Education, and a medical school.[5] As the Academy of Economics and Commercial Sciences was the earliest of these institutions, Anadolu University has adopted 1958 as its date of establishment.
Most faculties and schools of Anadolu University, including the Distance Education Faculty, are situated at the Yunus Emre Campus, centrally located within the city. This campus hosts student housing, the university hospital, and the majority of administrative buildings.
To support its distance education programs, Anadolu University maintains 88 administrative centers across urban areas in Turkey. These centers provide academic counseling and offer optional evening classes for distance learners.[6][7]
The Higher Education Act of 1981 designated Anadolu University as the national provider of distance education, a role it has emphasized since its inception in 1982. The university aims to provide educational opportunities to individuals in rural areas of Turkey and to those who cannot attend traditional educational institutions due to time or resource constraints.[8] This initiative has proven successful, with enrollment in open education programs growing from fewer than 30,000 in the 1982-83 academic year to over 870,000 by 2005-06. The programs are now also accessible to Turkish communities in Northern Cyprus and the European Union.[8][9]
Anadolu University offers a range of distance education programs, including 4-year Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics and Business Administration, as well as nineteen 2-year associate degrees across various disciplines. Additionally, the Turkish Ministry of National Education has tasked Anadolu University with training the nation's preschool and English language teachers through distance learning platforms, although the latter requires students to complete two years of in-person classes.[8]
From 2005 to 2010, Anadolu University collaborated with SUNY Empire State College to offer an eMBA degree via distance education. Anadolu University is a member of the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities and holds accreditation alongside other institutions including the Open University, KU Leuven, and Aarhus.[10]
^Colin, Latchem; Özkul, Ali E.; Aydin, Cengiz H.; Mutlu, Mehmet E. (November 2006). "The Open Education System, Anadolu University, Turkey: e-transformation in a mega-university". Open Learning. 21 (3): 222.
