• 2026/04/07
• 08:00 AM

Ankara, Türkiye, 7–10 April 2026

The consortium of the SMILE project – Supporting Mobility and Internationalization for Learning and Engagement in Somali HEIs (Project Ref. No. 101237721) will hold its first in-person Kick-Off Meeting and Co-Creation Workshop in Ankara, Türkiye, from 7 to 10 April 2026, hosted by Middle East Technical University (METU).

Co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme, action Capacity Building in the Field of Higher Education (CBHE), SMILE is a 36-month project aimed at strengthening the internationalization capacities of Somali higher education institutions through mobility, institutional cooperation, inclusion, and digital approaches to international learning.

The Ankara meeting will mark an important milestone in the project lifecycle. Following the Virtual Kick-Off Meeting, which was held in January 2026, the upcoming in-person event will bring together Somali and European partners for the first time to review progress achieved during the initial phase of implementation and will launch the first operational phase of project activities.