Erzurum Technical University (ETU) has achieved a significant academic success under Jean Monnet Actions, one of the European Union's long-established academic initiatives designed to strengthen the capacity for European Union studies in higher education. The project entitled "Building Global Capacity through Human and Knowledge Dynamics in SME Internationalization: A Comparative Study across the DAP Region Provinces, with a TRIPP Initiative Lens," developed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emirhan KULA, a faculty member at ETU's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, has been awarded funding under the Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Module.

The three-year project, entitled "SMEs Global Path," will be coordinated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Emirhan KULA, Head of the Department of Business Administration. Prof. Dr. Huseyin DASTAN, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, will serve as the project advisor, while Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yilmaz KAPLAN and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Burak BASKAN will serve as project experts. Res. Asst. Burcu YASAR and Lect. Necip NURSOY will contribute to the project as researchers.

Jean Monnet Actions support the systematic and interdisciplinary development of European Union studies in higher education and aim to strengthen universities' capacity for high-quality teaching and academic engagement on European integration, EU policies, and their economic and social implications. Within this framework, the SMEs Global Path project offers an innovative educational model that examines the EU Single Market and the internationalization processes of SMEs in conjunction with the economic and institutional characteristics of the Eastern Anatolia Region.

Over the course of three years, the project will deliver a total of 360 hours of teaching and structured learning activities. The curriculum will cover topics including the EU Single Market, European economic integration, SME internationalization, market intelligence capabilities, strategic intelligence, inter-firm networks and coopetition, open innovation, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, data governance, global e-commerce, green transition, and ethical and inclusive management. Courses will be complemented by case studies, workshops, seminars, stakeholder meetings, webinars, and field-based learning activities.

Using the provinces of the DAP Region as a comparative learning environment, the project will also approach the TRIPP initiative from an applied perspective to examine opportunities for SMEs in terms of connectivity, logistics preparedness, and participation in value chains. Throughout the project, students will be encouraged to develop directly applicable outputs such as policy briefs, case analyses, and implementation checklists.

As part of the project's regional stakeholder dimension, KOSGEB Erzurum Provincial Directorate is expected to contribute within the framework of a cooperation protocol signed prior to the project application. Its contribution is planned to include facilitating access to SMEs, providing experts and speakers, and supporting the dissemination of project outputs to relevant businesses and stakeholders. In this way, the project aims to bring EU-focused knowledge and learning outcomes generated at the University together with the regional SME ecosystem.

The SMEs Global Path project is expected not only to enhance ETU's academic visibility and institutional capacity in the field of European Union studies, but also to establish a sustainable educational platform through which students can directly analyze the relationship between EU policies and business practices.

Directorate of Corporate Communications and Promotion, 10 September 2026