The opening of the International Staff Week event, organized by the Kastamonu University Erasmus Coordination Office to advance international academic cooperation, took place on October 14, 2025, at the Ahmet Yesevi Cultural Center.

The event was attended by Dr. Kemal Başçı, Higher Education Coordinator of the Turkish National Agency, Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Mehmet Atalan, Prof. Dr. Ömer Küçük, and Prof. Dr. Selahattin Kaymakcı, faculty deans, academic staff, students, and guest academics from different countries.

At the information meeting held, Erasmus+ Institutional Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökhan Kaya shared detailed information about student and staff mobility. In his opening speech, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökhan Kaya stated that the Erasmus program makes significant contributions to the sharing of knowledge, experience, and culture among higher education institutions, and provided information about the activities carried out by Kastamonu University in line with its internationalization vision.

Dr. Kemal Başçı, the Higher Education Coordinator of the Turkish National Agency, spoke about the opportunities offered by the Erasmus+ program to higher education institutions in Turkey and expressed his satisfaction with Kastamonu University's active participation in this field.  In his speech, the head also said, "The pain of one person is the pain of all humanity. We must feel the tragedy in Gaza in our own conscience. Not remaining silent about the events in Gaza and standing against oppression is a human duty. Saying 'stop' to this genocide on the international stage is the shared responsibility of all societies and humanity. He used the phrase "..."

During the country promotion program held after the opening ceremony, our Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Topal and our students visited the booths set up by the participating countries and learned about the universities represented.

The event, organized within the scope of KA171 from October 13-17, 2025, was attended by 35 participants from 19 different countries. Participating countries included South Africa, Egypt, the Philippines, Moldova, Jamaica, Germany, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ethiopia, Ukraine, Kosovo, Palestine, Nigeria, Ghana, Albania, Nepal, Kenya, Indonesia, and Algeria.

During the event, training and teaching mobility activities will be carried out; in addition, various cultural and social activities will be organized to help participants get to know Turkish and Kastamonu culture. In this context, a city tour and a campus tour were organized.

As part of the city tour, the Olgunlaşma Institute, City Museum, Nasrullah Mosque and Square, and Münire Madrasah will be visited. The campus tour will include visits to MERLAB, the Children's Library, and the Wood Culture Application and Research Center.