EMU reports 20.9% rise in foreign-national student numbers

Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) has reported a 20.9% increase in its number of foreign-national students during the 2025–2026 academic year.

The figure was provided by Prof. Dr. Ali Öztüren, EMU’s Deputy Rector for Promotion and Corporate Communications, in comments reported by Halkın Sesi. He said the proportion of foreign-national students among new registrations rose from an average of 19% to 25%.

The share of students from Turkey in new registrations also increased, from 51% to 52%, Öztüren said. EMU’s total student population stood at 15,890 in the autumn 2025 semester, including students from North Cyprus and Turkey, according to the university.

EMU said its students represent more than 100 countries. The university reported making 32 overseas visits in 2025–2026, compared with 28 in the previous academic year.

The university also said it had widened its list of target countries to more than 60 and was running digital campaigns in English, French, Russian and Arabic.

According to EMU, it works with more than 130 academic institutions across 36 countries and five continents. Its stated agreements include 78 memoranda of understanding, 29 student-exchange agreements, eight academic-staff exchange agreements, 10 joint-degree agreements and five double-degree agreements.