Britannica free for Turkish universities

ISTANBUL-Hürriyet Daily News

Beginning April 1, universities in Turkey will have completely free access to Britannica Online for a month.

Encyclopedia Britannica, the most prestigious digital education resource in the English language, is to offer Turkish universities a month of free access to its online services.

Beginning April 1, universities throughout Turkey will have completely free access to Britannica Online for a month, which is expected to benefit up to more than 2 million university students and staff.

Through the initiative, lecturers, teachers and students in Turkey will be invited to rediscover Britannica in the digital age.

The announcement comes following Britannica’s decision to cease publication of its revered 32-volume print edition in order to concentrate on its digital and mobile offerings, which have become popular with knowledge seekers in recent decades.

Free until May 5

Unlike other free online resources, the Britannica Online Academic Edition has specifically been created to ensure that students in Turkey can research using reliable and fact-checked online material.

Students will be able to access the resource both on and off-campus, and it is hoped that through the initiative, students will be provided with facts, context, and interactive materials to help them in their studies.

Caroline Kennard, international business director at Britannica said: “As part of our commitment to raising educational standards and inspiring generations of young learners, we’re delighted to offer universities and colleges in Turkey the chance to experience Britannica in the digital age. Britannica already has a strong presence with colleges and universities within Turkey and we’re delighted to be expanding our offering to millions more students. We’re confident that with access to Britannica Online, universities and colleges in Turkey will really see a boost in attainment.”

Britannica Online will be available free until May 5. Universities and colleges wishing to subscribe to the service should visit www.britannica.co.uk for more information.