07.01.2020 Ankara
Speaking at the meeting of the Turkish Higher Education Council, the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, stated that the relationship between the goals of the private sector and education planning should be strengthened, adding, “I believe that there will be a significant increase in productivity in higher education if the quotas are planned according to the needs of the private sector. We need to update departments and programs in universities with the needs of the future.”
The
TOBB President, in his speech at the opening of the Higher Education Sector Council
Meeting, said that there is a direct relationship between a country's wealth
and the level of education.
Stating
that investments in education will be the biggest service to the country,
Hisarciklıoğlu pointed out that there has been a very rapid change in the world
with emerging technologies and new business models.
Hisarcıklıoğlu
said, “In the information age, capital has shifted to information technologies
to a great extent. The key to achieving the goal of becoming one of the world's
largest economies is to produce more technology.”
Hisarciklıoğlu
emphasized that the main purpose of universities should be to raise a new
generation who create technology, not only consume it, and said, “We raise a
new generation which can more effectively access information and use technology,
learns fast, capable of interdisciplinary thinking, has strong reflex, and
invents.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
reminded that 77 of Turkey's 206 universities are foundation universities as of
last year, adding that foundation universities are important in terms of academic
competition in higher education.
Hisarcıklıoğlu,
pointing to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's criticism of foundation
universities, said, “Our President's criticism has merit. We must draw lessons
from it.”
- Education according to the needs
of the market and the country
Hisarcıklıoğlu,
drawing attention to the need to strengthen the relationship between the
private sector's goals and education planning, said:
“I
believe that if quotas are planned according to the needs of the private
sector, there will be a significant increase in productivity in higher
education. Each vacancy means that our country's resources are wasted. We need
to update departments and programs in universities with regards to the needs of
the future.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stressed that theoretical education should be integrated with practical
education and that joint education programs implemented at TOBB University of
Economics and Technology should be extended in all universities.
Hisarcıklıoğlu,
noting that important steps have been taken in shaping vocational education
according to the needs of the market and the country, said:
“National
Education Minister Ziya Selçuk announced that for the first time, in regards to
Turkey's Automobile, departments which will train the technical elements needed
in the production of electric vehicles in the field of motor vehicle technology
will be opened. Departments regarding vehicle engineering have been added to PhD
scholarship programs at YÖK. PhD. engineers will be trained in fields such as energy
and hybrid engines.”
Hisarcıklıoğlu
stated that their goal is to place more universities from Turkey among the best
universities in the world, to train more entrepreneurs from among university
graduates and to create more inventions and patents in the field of high
technology, adding that these goals can be accomplished through a singular aim with
stakeholders.
- “Foundation universities make a
significant contribution to higher education”
TOBB
Turkey Higher Education Council President Bekir Okan also drew attention to the
importance of foundation universities, “Foundation universities make
significant contributions to higher education with their facilities, vision and
staff. University-industry cooperation is carried out with the importance put
on R&D.”
Okan
reported that among the issues on their agenda are foundation universities'
tuition fees, the application of base price, quotas of master's and doctoral
programs, new criteria for determining 2020-2021 annual quotas of undergraduate
departments.
The
meeting continued closed to the press after the opening speeches.