Optimizing Location Selection for International Education Fairs: An Interval-Valued Neutrosophic Fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution Approach

The exponential growth in global student mobility has resulted in a corresponding increase in demand for international student fairs. Education fairs serve as pivotal platforms for the acquisition of information and the formulation of decisions pertaining to academic pursuits, with a considerable number of students ultimately enrolling in undergraduate, graduate, and language programs abroad. By reaching a large number of students at international education fairs, students from underdeveloped or developing countries benefit from educational opportunities in developed countries, providing significant contributions to social sustainability and socio-economic opportunities. The success of these events is reliant upon the selection of an appropriate location, which necessitates a multifaceted process that considers a range of factors and potential risks. This initial study on the location selection of international education fairs addresses the existing literature gap by employing the interval-valued neutrosophic fuzzy TOPSIS (IVN Fuzzy TOPSIS) method, a novel approach to the location country selection decision problem faced by a fair company operating in Türkiye for international education fairs. IVN Fuzzy TOPSIS is an advanced decision-making method that incorporates interval-valued neutrosophic sets—using high and low values for truthiness (T), indeterminacy (I), and falsity (F)—to more effectively handle uncertainty and indeterminacy in evaluating alternatives. The study demonstrates the efficacy of this method in addressing uncertainty through a real-world case analysis, which provides a balanced assessment of various criteria. The findings, in which Poland was identified as the optimal fair location among five alternatives, demonstrate the efficacy of the method in facilitating expeditious and precise decision-making, particularly through the incorporation of linguistic expressions that simplify the complexities of decision-making processes. This research not only advances the understanding of site selection for education fairs but also offers a practical tool for decision-makers navigating similar challenges in event planning.