Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH) has achieved a significant success as a partner in the Erasmus+ KA220-HED (Cooperation Partnerships in Higher Education) project titled “Breaking Barriers: Advancing Gender Equality in Mobility Exchanges and Career Progression in HEIs (BEAM),” coordinated by Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II (Italy).

Submitted to the Italian National Agency in early 2026, the project received an outstanding 95/100 evaluation score and was awarded €400,000 in funding. The project will be implemented over 30 months, from 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2029.

The BEAM project aims to strengthen gender equality in staff mobility within higher education institutions by identifying barriers to gender-balanced participation, assessing the impact of international mobility on academic career progression, and developing strategies for more inclusive mobility programmes. The project also seeks to raise awareness, facilitate knowledge exchange among partner institutions, and promote more accessible, equitable, and inclusive international mobility opportunities.

The project consortium consists of:

• Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Italy (Coordinator)
• University of Limerick, Ireland
• Universidade do Porto, Portugal
• European University Foundation – Campus Europae, Luxembourg
• Izmir Institute of Technology (IZTECH), Türkiye

The IZTECH project team includes:

• Lec. Dr. Bengü Aydın (International Office) – IZTECH Project Coordinator
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bahar Emgin (Department of Industrial Design)
• Assist. Prof. Dr. Benay Uzer (Department of Mechanical Engineering)

Through this collaboration with leading European higher education institutions, IZTECH aims to contribute to the promotion of gender equality, institutional development, and internationalisation while supporting the creation of more inclusive and equitable mobility practices across higher education.