Karadeniz Technical University (KTU) successfully hosted the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) titled "Understanding Migration Through Literature" (BIP ID: 2025-1-TR01-KA131-HED-000309799-1) - the first Erasmus+ BIP organised at KTU. The interdisciplinary event brought together scholars and students from 14 partner universities across Europe to examine human mobility, displacement, and cultural identity through literary analysis and creative writing.

The program combined virtual preparatory sessions on September 2–3 with intensive, on-campus academic and cultural sessions from September 7 to 11.

36 students and 6 academic staff attended the event in the framework of Erasmus+ Programme.

Exploring Migration Across Contexts and Media

The physical program launched with an opening address and introductory lecture on fundamental migration terminology by the organising BIP coordinator Lect. Onur Aydın, followed by an overview of migration management in Türkiye delivered by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hüseyin YadigaroÄŸlu, head of KTU’s Migration Studies Department.

Throughout the week, participants engaged in a series of thematic seminars and workshops:

• Media & Discourse: A hands-on workshop examining media representations of migrants and cross-cultural attitudes toward displacement led by Lect. Onur Aydın encouraged students to develop a critical approach to the representations of migrants and migration in the media.

• Historical & Colonial Perspectives: A seminar by Prof. Dr. Sabrina Juillet Garzón (Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Dean of UFR LLHS) detailing the historical trajectory of Scottish tartan across 18th- and 19th-century colonial networks highlighted migration as an ever-existing phenomenon, and demonstrated how culture migrates along with communities.

• Postmigrant & Indigenous Literatures: Lectures by PhD Researcher Gizem DoÄŸrul (University of Vienna) on contemporary Black-British writing and postmigrant conditions, alongside Assistant Lect. Attila Takács (University of Miskolc) on forced assimilation and Canadian Indigenous experiences helped contextualise the theme of migration in different settings and historical periods. Participants also analysed and discussed the theme of migration in literary works in a lecture led by Lect. Onur Aydın.

• Personal Narratives: An experience-sharing session led by Assist. Prof. Dr. Yeliz Vural from KTU Psychology Department, reflecting on international student mobility and lived migration stories.

• Creative Writing Workshops: To encourage socialisation of participants and help them bring out their creativity, Dr. Agata Babina led two sessions of creative writing workshop, a mini exploratory session outdoors in the heart of Trabzon, and the main session in the auditorium. Participants observed the cityscape through their senses and made notes, based on which they created stories of 50 words. In the main session, participants teamed up to create a collage poem with each line cropped from a different poem. As the final task of the workshop, participants were encouraged to write their own poetry.

• Guest Presentations: Prof. Dr. David Sillam-Dusses, Vice-Director for Research at UFR LLHS of Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, shared information on research activities of his faculty in the general context and presented his own research to the audience. Another guest presentation was made by Natalia Soler Cifuentes, titled "Translating Brand Names: When Brands Migrate".

Interdisciplinary Practice and Cultural Exchange
Beyond interactive lectures, the curriculum featured text-based discussions of selected poetry and short fiction, and creative writing workshops organised by Dr. Agata Babina of Riga Technical University Liepaja Academy, participants also explored Trabzon’s historical landmarks during a guided city tour designed to contextualize cultural heritage within broader movement and history.

Organised by KTU’s Office of Exchange Programs in collaboration with European partner universities—including institutions from France, Poland, Croatia, Estonia, Romania, Slovenia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Austria—the initiative highlights the role of literature as a tool for cross-cultural empathy and academic inquiry. The program concluded on September 11 with a reflective synthesis session and the awarding of participation certificates.

List of Participating Universities:

• Riga Technical University Liepaja Academy, Latvia
• Universite Paris Sorbonne Nord, France
• Uczelnia Nauk Spolecznych Lódz, Poland
• Akademia Nauk Stosowanych w Nowym Saczu, Poland
• Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, Croatia
• Tallinn University, Estonia
• BabeÅŸ-Bolyai University, Romania
• University of Wroclaw, Poland
• University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
• West University of TimiÅŸoara, Romania
• International Business School, Bulgaria
• Faculty of Commercial and Business Sciences in Celje, Slovenia
• University of Miskolc, Hungary
• University of Vienna, Austria

 

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