Evaluating International Students as a Source of Private Soft Power: An Examination in the Turkish Context

Authors : Mehmet Özek

Pages : 93-110

View : 140 | Download : 77

Publication Date : 2025-12-28

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :With the acceleration of globalization, states have begun to develop different strategies to increase their power and influence in the international arena. Among these strategies, the concept of soft power is of particular importance. Soft power can be defined as the ability of a country to influence other countries through its culture, values, and ideas without resorting to political, economic, or military power. Universities and educational institutions play an important role in the soft power strategies of states. These institutions bring together people from different countries by encouraging student and academic mobility through various tools such as international exchange programs, scholarship opportunities, and joint research projects. International students play a key role in the successful implementation of soft power, in terms of reflecting a positive image, increasing influence and sympathy abroad, and helping to generate interest in the cultures of other states. These students, who adopt the culture and values of the country they study in, are an indication that the soft power strategy of that country is successful. This study aimed to investigate the preferences of international students to study in Türkiye and the factors affecting international student experiences in Türkiye. The research findings show that factors such as quality of education, international recognition, and religious affiliation play an important role in international students\\\' preference for Türkiye. These factors are closely related to the academic, social and political reasons of international students. In addition, economic factors are also important factors in international students\\\' preference for Türkiye. These factors include the absence of high cost of living and relatively low cost of education. One result of these findings is that Türkiye\\\'s emergence as an important center of attraction depends on the quality of education, religious affiliation and the absence of high cost of living. In short, students rely on the soft power of higher education institutions and the country in choosing the country to be preferred for education. In line with the analyses made for the reliability calculations of the International Students\\\' Views of Türkiye and Universities in Istanbul Scale, which was developed in the research process to determine the tendency of international students studying in Istanbul to prefer Türkiye, Cronbach\\\'s α coefficient was determined as 0.918. This value is important in terms of showing that the reliability coefficient of the scale is high.
Keywords : yumuşak güç, uluslararası öğrenci, uluslararası öğrenci hareketliliği

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