EFFECTS OF EDUCATION PROGRAMS ABROAD AS INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS AND CULTURAL DIPLOMACY TOOL, REGARDING TURKEY'S REPUTATION: A RESEARCH UPON FOREIGN STUDENTS IN TURKEY

Abstract

The relationships becoming multidimensional within international level, are forcing our country as well as to follow a multidimensional reputation policy. About country reputation, within the scope of cultural diplomacy and international public relations, political, economic and trade relations, population movements, ideas and thoughts, media facilities, sport activities, development and assistance programs, culture and language institutions, artifical, scientific, and academic exchange programs are such kind of cases that confront us as a requirement in terms of building and protecting reputation. In this study, within the perspective of education programs abroad, enabling transculturation and being a tool for international public relations and cultural diplomacy through the acquisition of the students, the images and reputation of Turkey is analysed. In order to find out the evaluations of the participants before and after coming to Turkey, Mann Whitney'u nonparametric test has been applied and within the evaluation of attractiveness dimension, the study has been concluded that there are no significant differences between dimensions.