30.09.2021 Ankara
The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) Higher Education Council Meeting of Turkey was held in YÖK Conference Hall with the participation of TOBB President M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Higher Education Council (YÖK) President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar and TOBB Turkish Higher Education Council President Bekir Okan.
Speaking at the opening
of the meeting, TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that they are experiencing
a period in which technology, innovation and digitalization have gained great
speed with the pandemic, “At the heart of all of this is equipped people with
the skills to keep up with the pace of technological developments, to quickly
acquire new information and turn this information into added value. If we are
going to compete in this lane, if we say that we are in the competition, we can
only do this with equipped manpower and the higher education sector that can
provide institutional and quality service to train these people.”
Emphasizing that the
higher education system is the most important link in the 'educated
manpower-job market-society' chain, Hisarcıklıoğlu said that foundation
universities working with this awareness have become an important part of the
higher education system with their physical conditions, modern campuses,
visions, strong staff.
Hisarcıklıoğlu reminded
that the responsibility of the state for the dissemination of higher education
is shared by foundation universities. “A significant part of the public cost in
this area has been undertaken by foundation universities. Our foundation
universities, which have the status of public institutions, carry out these
services with their own resources, thus contributing greatly to the country's
economy without any resources from the state. Let's not forget that our country
is in much better shape in terms of higher education than many European
countries. In the number of successful universities offering international
standards of education in Turkey, the multiplicity of foundation universities
is another striking fact.”
Hisarciklıoğlu stated
that there is great potential here, “Therefore, this potential needs to be
better promoted. Ensuring that our country's universities are requested by
foreign students is also of great importance for the long-term interests of our
country.”
As TOBB, seeing the
need in this field, Hisarcıklıoğlu explained that they established the Higher
Education Council of Turkey in 2006 and that the Council acts as a bridge
between foundation universities and the public sector, “Our Council, which
closely follows sectoral developments, comprehensively addresses the needs and
problems of the sector and develops solutions, in consultation with the public,
and ensures their conclusion. Therefore, our Council is a common ground on
which the demands of the private sector are evaluated together with the public
sector and a platform where project and activity proposals are developed to
encourage the development of the sector. On the other hand, we know that in the
culture of YÖK, is always to make the decisions taken in cooperation with the
sector. Therefore, I believe that our cooperation will continue to develop.”
Hisarciklıoğlu stated
that they have entered a new process in the pandemic, “We see returning to
face-to-face education as a correct and necessary step. I hope that he will
never face such a catastrophe again, that education will not be interrupted
again. We will be rid of every aspect of this pandemic as soon as possible. We
all must take responsibility here. We need to take maximum measures, especially
vaccination.”
- YÖK President Özvar
Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar,
President of the Higher Education Council (YÖK), stated that it is better
understood that universities are an indispensable component of economic and
social development today and explained how universities will contribute to
economic and social developments.
Özvar said that the
missions of universities in economic growth and development are to show the
country's human capital and the capacity of the young population to qualify and
the ways, procedures and capacities that will prevail in global economic
competition.
Özvar stated that
universities should increase scientific knowledge and expand their R&D and
innovation activities in order to perform these functions, and that
universities should ensure quality assurance in education in order to fulfill
their missions.
Özvar also pointed out
the importance of increasing scientific productivity by universities, employing
and encouraging higher education staff, prioritizing investments that will
improve university-industry cooperation, or giving positive discrimination to
universities that prioritize them.
Emphasizing that they
do not discriminate between state and foundation universities in the
realization of these processes, Özvar said, “We do not discriminate between
state and foundation universities in terms of education, university-industry
cooperation, R&D and innovation. We don't consider such work separation is
right.”
- “The deficiencies that occurred during the pandemic must
be addressed”
Bekir Okan, president
of the Turkey Higher Education Council, stated that the pandemic caused a
breakdown all over the world and in Turkey, and reminded that schools had to be
closed in the process.
Noting that
universities are the most progressive, transformative force of a country, Okan
stressed that in order for progress, change and transformation to continue, the
deficiencies which occurred during the pandemic must be addressed.
Okan pointed out that
they are aware of their responsibilities as foundation universities, adding
that they will continue to contribute to the higher education of the country.
After the speeches, representatives
of foundation universities conveyed their opinions and wishes and presented
their assessments of the higher education system.