International student community in North Cyprus meet with Minister of Education, discuss issues faced by foreign students and recent comment by Abike Dabiri

A group comprising of students from different nationalities in North Cyprus met with the Minister of National Education and Culture Nazım Çavuşoğlu on Thursday to discuss the issues faced by foreign students in the country and the confusion caused by the statement of Hon Abike Dabiri, CEO of Nigerians in Disapora Commission.

The Minister in the company of the Director of the Department of Higher Education and Foreign Relations, Ziya Öztürkler welcomed the students. 

After listening to the students, the Minister in his speech to the students, expressed his pleasure in receiving them stating that he sees all of them as ambassadors of the TRNC.

Underlining that students are educated in the freest country where they can express themselves and live their beliefs comfortably, Çavuşoğlu said that they want them to experience all the cultural richness of the country during their education and to share their experiences in their own countries.

He noted how the government was able to help all students who left and stayed in the island during the pandemic period, stating that they provided food and hygiene support to over 8 thousand higher education students.

He told the students that they can have monthly meetings with representatives of the countries they so choose among themselves in order to solve their problems adding that that they are always open to dialogue in order to solve the problems of students.

The Minister stated that the government will take steps to support students with the discounts they will implement within the scope of the Student-Friendly Island project.

We want to give you discounts in many places with Ada Kart and we are working for you to have a more peaceful education process, he said.

Speaking on the recent statement by the CEO of Nigerians in Disapora Commission, Hon Abike Dabiri, the Minister said such articles were made purposeful and do not reflect the truth.

He noted that the issues among students in the country are reflected differently outside and the perception is created as if the local people approached students with a bad attitude.

He said the government will make a statement about this issue in the coming days.

At the end of his speech, Çavuşoğlu reminded that all units of the ministry are at the service of the students and thanked the students for conveying their opinions and thoughts.