WBJ: Mr. İplikçioğlu, we do not often meet with active investors in international education. Why did you choose this sector? How did this investment adventure begin?

Mehmet Göktürk İplikçioğlu: Twenty years ago, I continually encountered problems as an international student. In a foreign country, it was difficult to take care of your official duties in a language that you had just begun to learn; for instance, to apply to a study program at the university, to apply for a visa, and even to find a flat. Therefore, I started my business with the question: "why not create a good company that will help people and be successful?" Consequently, I founded a business based on helping others avoid the problems I experienced.  You can always be successful if you find the right idea, and I think I am one of the first investors in this sector. Today, I am pleased to be able to help thousands of students study abroad without any issues.

Why did you start this business in Poland when there are well-known destinations in the international education sector, such as the USA, UK, or Germany?

When starting this business, I was driven by humanitarian motives, as I mentioned above. Education is one of the most important human rights, and I am motivated to enable young people to access education without obstacles. 

I chose Poland as the location to start my business because not everyone can access educational opportunities in countries such as the USA, the UK, and Germany due to the high costs of living and difficult visa processes. Poland offers many opportunities for students around the world to receive a quality education and I believe it is a country friendly to international students. Of course, we also send students to the USA, the UK, and Germany, but Poland's place in this sector will always be special to me.

There has been a significant increase in the number of international students coming to Poland in recent years. What makes Poland attractive to these students?

After Poland became a member of the European Union, it made serious investments in its universities and educational institutions. The increase in the number of internationally recognized universities in the last 20 years is due to the outstanding scientists they have trained. Twenty-seven Polish universities are among the top 1000 universities in the world in lists compiled by the world's respected assessment institutions, i.e. Times Higher Education, QS, CWTS Leiden, and URAP. Also, almost every Polish university has career clubs. These career clubs have agreements with large companies and can help students find good internships and job opportunities. Furthermore, Poland offers work permits for education, and every international student can stay in the country and continue their professional careers if they find a job within 12 months after graduation. It is also an attractive country for start-ups, and if students wish, they can develop their ideas further by setting up their own companies.

So, is everything so good for international students? Do they face any problems here?

Of course it's not all rosy, and not all international students have the same opportunities. A country's foreign policy and relations with other countries will affect the visa process. We also cannot say that the visa evaluation processes of students from all countries are equal, but compared with many countries, Poland is a country that issues student visas under favorable conditions.

If you ask what we can improve, the visa processes for students could be facilitated, which would help them settle more quickly.

What do you think 2023 will bring to the Polish international higher education sector and international universities?

In 2023, Poland will be an even more attractive country for international students thanks to global economic and geopolitical developments. Also, I believe that Poland's goal to reach 100,000 international students, which has been set for several years, will finally be reached in 2023. 

Considering Poland's immense progress in education, it will find its place among other desirable European destinations in 2023. Poland has hosted international students from many places, including the Scandinavian countries and Germany in the 2021-2022 academic years, and it seems that it will continue to welcome students from less economically developed countries, too.