Flexibility and Advantages of Turkish Maarif Foundation in Global Education Market due to its Hybrid Structure

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Turkish Maarif Foundation (TMF), established in 2016 with a special law, is Türkiye’s newest public diplomacy agency, providing formal and non-formal education abroad on behalf of Türkiye. TMF is defined as a “hybrid public diplomacy agency” in this article, as it is established as a private law legal entity but also has some public legal entity features. Since TMF operates abroad, it faces the challenges of adapting to domestic legislation, which may differ in each country. In addition, potential political and economic crises in the host countries where educational activities are carried out by TMF, the ever-changing global education market, and competition with globally influential international school networks with centuries of experience complicate TMF’s activities. TMF can overcome these difficulties with the flexibility brought by its new generation and hybrid structure. With the flexibility and advantage of its hybrid structure, TMF can create different legal entities and offer country-specific curriculums; on the other hand, it can facilitate interlocutors in diplomatic negotiations with the appearance of a public legal entity. This article argues that its hybrid structure provides TMF flexibility and advantages in overcoming challenges in international politics and the global education market.