UPON ARRIVAL AT AGU

• Housing

AGU provides a comfortable and free accommodation for some international faculty. These apartments, equipped with a basic furniture and home appliances (fridge, oven, iron, washing machine, dishwasher, vacuum cleaner and TV set) are provided by AGUV (Abdullah Gül University Foundation).

Utilities (Gas, Electricity, Water)

When you move in a property, it will always have gas, electricity and water supplied, all of which you will have to pay for. All homes have meters already installed for gas, electricity and water in order to show the amount you use. You will have utility bills on a monthly cycle. When using electrical appliances, please note that AC voltage in Türkiye is always 230 volts and we use type C and F plugs (Europlugs).

 

• Health Care

AGU cares for the health and well-being of its AGU members. Health services for AGU members will be conducted by the AGU health center which is established at Sumer Campus. At this center, some basic health services such as caring minor injuries and illness, injection, medical dressing, tension and fever measuring are available. For more complicated health problems, AGU members will be enrolled and directed to the nearest family health centers in order to be examined and treated. In case of emergencies, our AGU members will be referred to the nearest public or private hospitals under the support and coordination of AGU health staff.

 

• Turkish Health Care System

By being registered at SGK you will have mostly free and publicly funded healthcare. All international people registered at SGK have access to “family doctors” (i.e. general practitioners, or GPs). The GP is the first medical specialist you meet with. He/she has the right to forward you to higher medical institutions or consultations depending on the seriousness of the health concern. On the other hand, if you choose to be examined or operated in a private hospital instead of a public one, you will pay an “Employee’s Contribution” to the relevant health institution (the amount will change according to the institution).

The emergency medical services have opening hours round-the-clock and you may seek help from them especially at weekends and at night, when GPs are off duty.

Your family can benefit from free healthcare provided that they obtained residence permit and registered at SGK. Please contact us for your family’s residence permit and registration for the insurance system.

Prescribed items can be received at any pharmacy. You can reach the list of night pharmacies in Kayseri on this link : http://cbs.kayseri.bel.tr/NobetciEczaneler.aspx

 

• Food Facilities within the Campus

AGU provides for faculty members lunch services (except weekends). You will pay around 2 Euros per whole meal set. Your AGU ID card can be used as a payment card if you prefer to have a midday meal in the AGU dining hall. Also, you can try some cafes in the campus or various restaurants around the Campus.

 

• Annual Leave

The annual leave of an international faculty member is 20 days for those who work at a Turkish University less than 10 years. Weekends are counted in those 20 days, if they fall in the middle of your holiday, but you may take your annual leave in 1, 2 or 3 pieces. On the other side, you will not be eligible for the annual leave till completing a 12 month-working period. Then, you will be able to use your annual leave 20 days on your second 12 month-working period. Alongside this annual leave, you will also have a 10-day extraordinary leave. You can use the extraordinary leave, no matter what your length of service is. But, please note that this type of leave covers mostly emergencies involving you or your dependents (e.g. illness, family sickness or death).

Believing in a different religion other than Islam, you will have different religious holidays naturally. In such a case, you can apply for leave request to celebrate your religious occasion.

 

• Recruiting Procedures

After your arrival in Türkiye, you need to complete various paperwork here in Kayseri such as signing the contract, paying the work fee (if you have not paid it in the Embassy/Consulate), opening bank account, getting AGU email account and receiving AGU ID card. But, no worries for these matters since you will be assisted by the International Office or the contact person in your academic unit.

Read the AGU Faculty Portfolio Here

Procedure for the Assistant Professors

If you apply to AGU to work as an Assistant Professor, you will be subjected to a Foreign Language Exam either written or verbal (the verbal exam can take place via video conference). If you pass this exam, your scientific studies will be reviewed and evaluated by a university scientific committee. After getting a positive report from the committee within a couple of days, you can be an assistant professor at AGU.

Procedure for the Associate and Full Professors

All the procedures to be applied for associate and full professors are the same with the ones told for the assistant professors. The only difference is that associate and full professors are not subjected to the foreign language exam.

If your country has a system of titles for associate professorship and full professorship, similar to Turkish system of “Doçentlik” and “Profesörlük”, you may officially verify your titles.

Please note that if you have any document written in any language other than English, it should be translated into English or Turkish by a certified translator/notary (This is especially valid for diplomas). Please contact us about the details.

Procedures for English Instructors

There is no requirement for English instructors to be native speakers. Prospective international instructors are subjected neither to a language exam nor the scientific committee, which forms part of the requirements for instructors in other departments. What are required are experience of teaching English and a suitable academic background as follows:

Native speakers must have a university degree.

International instructors whose first language is not English must have a university degree in either English Language and/or Literature or in the Teaching of English.

Preference will be given to candidates with additional English Language Teaching qualifications such as CELTA, DELTA, Dip TESOL, MA TESOL, Dip TEFL or MA TEFL.

Contract and Employment Details

In state universities, the contract which applies to international faculty members generally comes into effect for a one year and remains valid till the Fourteenth of September. On the other hand, after your contract expires, it may be renewed or extended for one more year by the University Management. Contracts are renewed or extended according to your accomplishments and academic performance during the contract period at AGU, your overall value and your contribution to the university.

Registration at the Social Security System


As an international employee in Türkiye you are required to register at the Turkish Social Security Institution (SGK) and pay 15% premium for every month. The registration will be done by the faculty officials and the SGK premium will automatically be deducted from your salary each month. The amount deducted will be shown on your pay slip.

For more information about SGK please visit : http://www.sgk.gov.tr/wps/portal/en

AGU ID Card and AGU E-Mail Account

All the international staff employed by the University should get their ID card and email account.

AGU ID card is your access to various facilities on campus. At the same time, you can use it as a payment card in the University Dining Hall by putting enough amount of money on the card (see food facilities on the campus). This card is provided by the AGU Personnel Department.

The AGU IT Department will arrange an email account for you. The format of your email address will be “name.surname@agu.edu.tr”

Please contact the corresponding departments shown above for the details on AGU ID Card and AGU email account.