The number of Hitit University international students has multiplied in a few years. What do young people from over 60 countries face in Çorum, and what helps?
A student from Baku sips tea in the canteen while, at the next table, two friends from Somalia talk about their Turkish homework; a student from Indonesia is on a video call with the family left behind at home. A few years ago this scene was not something Çorum was used to, but it is now an everyday part of campus life. The number of Hitit University international students has multiplied in recent years, and today young people from more than 60 countries live on the streets, buses and markets of Çorum. In this article we first look at the figures, and then examine from a psychological perspective the process of adjustment these young people face in a new country and a small Anatolian city. The article aims to speak both to the students themselves and to the people of Çorum who share the city with them.
Hitit University International Student Numbers: What Do the Figures Say?
A rapid increase. According to an indicator in the monitoring and evaluation report prepared by YÖK (the Council of Higher Education) for Hitit University, the number of international students at the university rose between 2018 and 2022 from 172 to 217, then 231, 551 and 805. This report is not currently publicly accessible, and the values are reported second-hand. According to a 2025 academic study based on university data (Özakyol, Manjang and Jammeh), the number of international students reached 1,294 in 2024. The total of the nationality table on the official Study in Türkiye portal shows 1,318 students from 62 countries. In its own promotional material, the university refers to "more than 1,000" and "close to 1,200" students. In short, the number has risen roughly sevenfold in a few years.
Within the size of the campus. According to the university's sustainability page, the total number of students in the 2024–2025 academic year was 19,814. This means international students make up roughly 6–7% of all students. According to information reported second-hand by Özakyol and colleagues, in 2023 the approximately 350,000 international students in Turkey made up about 5% of all students in higher education.
Where do they come from? According to the table on the Study in Türkiye portal, the main nationalities are:
- Azerbaijan: 475
- Syria: 122
- Somalia: 79
- Iraq: 77
- Afghanistan: 66
- The Gambia: 49
- Kazakhstan: 43
- Gabon: 41
- Egypt and Turkmenistan: 36 each
- Indonesia: 33
- Djibouti: 23
Azerbaijan is by far the largest group, accounting for more than a third of the total. Students from African countries are also a growing group. According to the study by Özakyol and colleagues, the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences alone has 593 international students; 234 of them are from Azerbaijan and 207 from the African continent.
What support is available? According to the university's 2024 Institutional Self-Evaluation Report, processes for international students are run by the International Office, and the university has a Turkish Language Teaching Application and Research Centre. The same report states that psychological support is provided through the Social Support Unit within the Application and Research Centre for Combating Addiction, by one psychologist assigned by the Provincial Health Directorate, two days a week. No information could be found on a psychological counselling unit specifically for international students.
The limits of the data
The 2018–2022 series is reported second-hand from a report that is currently inaccessible, and the matching of columns to years was inferred from the reporting period. Figures such as 1,294 and 1,318 from different sources may refer to different dates. The nationality table does not state a year. The number of students who came on Türkiye Scholarships could not be found.
What Explains This Rapid Change? A Sociological Reading
There is no study specific to Hitit University explaining the rise in international student numbers. However, general trends and the pattern in the data point to some possible factors:
Turkey's rise in international education. In recent years Turkey has become an important destination country for international students. A more affordable cost of living and scholarship opportunities have made universities in Anatolia part of this movement too.
Cultural and linguistic closeness. The large share of students from Turkic-speaking countries such as Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan suggests that closeness of language and culture plays a role in their choices.
Bilateral agreements and scholarships. The university states that some of its students receive scholarships under bilateral agreements. The concentration of student groups from certain countries in particular faculties brings to mind the influence of such agreements and of word-of-mouth recommendations.
The small-city advantage. Lower rents and living costs and a calmer environment than in the big cities may be reasons for choosing the university for some students and their families.
For the host city, too, this change is new. Çorum, known for its ageing population and for losing residents to migration, has within a short time met a cultural diversity it was not used to. This encounter calls for both curiosity and a process of getting used to one another on both sides.
The Hitit University International Student Experience: A Psychological Reading
What have academic studies found?
Two studies carried out with international students in Çorum shed light on their everyday experience. Boduroğlu's study, published in 2025, is based on interviews with 23 students, and the study by Özakyol and colleagues on a survey of 60 students. In these studies, the main factors making adjustment harder were:
- The language barrier: insufficient Turkish in lectures, official procedures and everyday communication
- Financial difficulties: scholarships and family support not being enough, and the difficulty of finding work
- Bureaucracy: the complexity of residence permits and other official procedures
- Experiences of social exclusion and discrimination
- The small number of English speakers and job opportunities in the city
The same studies identify family, friends and the university's support units as protective factors.
Culture shock and stages of adjustment
The adjustment of students arriving in a new country often follows an up-and-down course. In psychology this process is described with the "U-curve" or "W-curve" models: after an initial period of excitement and curiosity, a phase of disappointment and loneliness may follow as everyday difficulties pile up. Over time, as the language is learned, friendships are formed and the city becomes familiar, adjustment increases. Going home for the holidays and coming back can partly restart this cycle. We look at this process in detail in our article on culture shock.
Acculturative stress
Acculturative stress is the psychological strain of being caught between two cultures. On the one hand, students want to preserve their own identity, language and habits; on the other, they try to adapt to their new environment. Differences in many areas, from food to climate and from the style of communication in class to relationships with lecturers, can increase this stress. For example, for a student from a hot climate, Çorum's cold and long winter can be an adjustment issue in itself.
Language and self-confidence
The language barrier leaves its mark not only in lectures but also on self-confidence. Being unable to express oneself can make a young person who was successful and sociable in their own country feel inadequate and invisible. We explore this experience in our article on language barriers and self-confidence.
Loneliness and homesickness
Being thousands of kilometres away from family can create deep loneliness, especially during religious holidays, periods of illness or when there is a loss in the family. For some students, family members who remain in countries experiencing conflict, economic crisis or severe hardship are a constant source of worry.
Visibility and identity
Looking different in a small city can be a two-sided experience. On the one hand, being met with curiosity, starting conversations and receiving hospitality makes a student feel valued. On the other hand, being stared at constantly in the street, being asked the same questions over and over, or being referred to only by one's nationality can be tiring. Some students cope with this fatigue by choosing to stay within a limited circle of people from their own country. This may give a sense of security in the short term, but in the long term it can make it harder to learn the language and to feel part of the city. Being able to open up to a new environment while preserving one's identity is regarded in psychology as one of the healthiest forms of adjustment.
Barriers to asking for help
In many cultures, seeking psychological support is still associated with a fear of stigma. When the language barrier, not knowing which service is available where, and worries about cost are added, international students may delay asking for help when they are struggling. Symptoms often show themselves in indirect ways, such as headaches, sleeplessness or withdrawing from lectures.
In a new city, the first friend often provides a sense of security that no lecture or map can give.
Let us imagine a twenty-year-old student from The Gambia who has spent their first term in the Turkish preparatory class. In October the campus is busy and exciting; when December comes, however, darkness falls early, most of their friends in the dormitory speak in their own languages, and after phone calls in which they tell their family that "everything is fine", they lie awake for a long time. This fictional example is a reminder that adjustment is not a straight line but a process with ups and downs.
Practical Suggestions for International Students and the Host City
For students
- Bring the language into everyday life. Saying a few sentences at the market, at the bazaar or on the bus can bring faster progress than classroom lessons. Do not be afraid of making mistakes; most people appreciate the effort.
- Build mixed friendships. Friends from your own country offer a safe harbour; ties with Turkish students and those from other countries speed up adjustment.
- Create a routine. A regular pattern of sleep, meals, study and physical activity helps protect your mood during the winter months and exam periods.
- Find out about support services. The International Office, your academic adviser and student societies are the first points of contact.
- Be honest with your family. Sharing that you are struggling is not upsetting them; it is forming a real connection.
For the host city
- Separate curiosity from prejudice. Asking questions is the start of a connection; but defining a student only by their nationality or appearance isolates them.
- Contact reduces prejudice. According to the contact hypothesis in psychology, when different groups come together on equal terms and with shared goals, mutual prejudice decreases. Neighbourhood events, sports and cultural gatherings are natural settings for this contact.
- Small kindnesses make a big difference. A shopkeeper patiently giving directions or a landlord explaining a rental agreement clearly can deeply shape how a student feels about the city.
When Should You Seek Professional Support?
Struggling during the adjustment process is normal. However, it may be helpful to talk to a professional in the following situations:
- If loneliness, unhappiness and listlessness have not eased for several weeks
- If you have started being unable to attend lectures, being unable to leave your room or avoiding exams
- If your sleep and appetite have changed markedly
- If you are experiencing intense anxiety, palpitations or panic-like symptoms
- If a loss in the family or difficult developments in your country have disrupted your daily functioning
If you have feelings of hopelessness or thoughts of harming yourself or ending your life, this is an emergency: in Turkey, call 112 (emergency services) and let a friend or a member of the dormitory staff know straight away.
How Are International Students' Adjustment Difficulties Addressed in Therapy?
In therapy, the first step is to understand the student's own culture, values and migration story; a culturally sensitive approach reduces the reservations that stand in the way of asking for help. In cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), thoughts such as "I'll never be able to adjust here", "Everyone is excluding me" or "If I disappoint my family, it's all over" are examined, and social contact and a daily routine are rebuilt through behavioural steps. Breathing and relaxation exercises can be used for anxiety symptoms, and problem-solving skills for exam and performance stress.
Where heavy experiences such as grief, war or difficult conditions in one's home country are involved, trauma-informed work may be needed. If symptoms are intense, an assessment by a psychiatrist is recommended to decide whether medication is needed. For students whose Turkish is sufficient, individual therapy can be carried out face to face or online. The uncertainty of "stay or go home?" that arises as graduation approaches is a separate topic, covered in our article on international students after graduation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many international students are there at Hitit University?
According to an academic study based on university data, there were 1,294 in 2024; according to the nationality table on the official Study in Türkiye portal, there are about 1,318 international students from 62 countries. In 2018 the figure was 172.
What difficulties do international students face most?
Studies carried out in Çorum highlight the language barrier, financial difficulties, bureaucracy, social exclusion and experiences of discrimination. Support from family and friends and the university's support units are among the protective factors.
How long does culture shock last?
The length varies from person to person. For many students, the strain of the first months eases as language skills and social networks develop. If loneliness and unhappiness last for months and affect daily life, seeking support is helpful.
How can the people of Çorum support international students?
Patient communication, everyday kindness and coming together at shared events are the most effective ways. Positive contact with people from different cultures strengthens both the students' adjustment and the city's experience of living together.
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Eda Erkan Alapala
Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.
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