Exchange Student Mentorship Program 

Exchange Student Mentors of the Office of International Programs are trained meticulously every year and work as an integral part of our team. Each semester Koç University welcomes exchange students from reputable universities around the globe. As the Office of International Programs, we are selecting our mentors as individuals with strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills to support our incoming exchange students throughout the semester, as well as incoming and outgoing administrative teams. 

Students who would like to apply for the exchange mentorship program are required to complete their application through the forms once announced by the OIP. Preference will be given to students who can successfully demonstrate: 

• Cultural sensitivity and ability to communicate with individuals with different backgrounds 

•  Strong sense of responsibility and commitment 

•  Leadership qualities 

• Enthusiasm to represent the Koç community and Turkish culture 

Responsibilities: 

Exchange Mentors’ duties are listed below: 

• Participate in every session of the Mentor Training and Orientation Week (OW), having a short presentation during the OW with other mentor team members and leading some of the OW sessions 

•  Provide peer-to-peer support to incoming exchange students throughout the semester regarding their integration into KU and the country and support them in case of an emergency 

• Supporting incoming and outgoing exchange students before, during, and after their exchange semesters 

•  Organise social activities for incoming and outgoing students (in-campus) 

•  Provide administrative support for incoming and outgoing teams (office hours, paperwork, documentation, editorial support, replying to emails on the Track-it system, etc.) 

• Committing to work 40 hours, including a certain number of office hours per month during a normal semester, 

•  Update and monitor web pages and university databases 

•  Creating content for social media and promotional materials 

•  Assist with the marketing of study abroad programs by developing new approaches to attract more incoming-outgoing students 

•  Assist with and/or be present at OIP organizations/events 

•  Attending monthly mentor meetings (dates TBA) 

•  Report their monthly duties at the mentor meetings 

Important Notes: 

• Please note that the Exchange Mentorship Program is a Work & Study program, and mentors will work and be paid in line with the regulations set by the Scholarships Office and OIP. 

• International students who do not hold a work permit will not be able to be selected as part of the W&S program. However, OIP welcomes applications from international students willing to volunteer for the duties and responsibilities of this role. 

• Due to the nature of mentorship tasks, OIP needs to mentor students with more experience at KU; therefore, the positions are open to sophomore, junior, and senior students only. 

Qualifying for a Certificate 

Mentors who participate in the program and fulfill their duties throughout the semester will be awarded a certificate from the Office of International Programs. 

Application and Deadline 

Please find the Mentorship Application Form for Fall 2024 here. 

Deadline to apply is 11 August 2024, Sunday 23:00 Istanbul time. 

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding the program: incoming@ku.edu.tr