The Higher Education Board (YÖK), Turkey's university watchdog, is proposing for graduates of Ph.D. degrees from metropolitan universities to work at universities in small cities for two years before qualifying to go back to their original institutions.

While universities in Istanbul, Ankara and İzmir have a glut of academics, small Anatolian universities usually lack qualified personnel. Under the proposal, any Ph.D. graduate from universities such as Boğaziçi, Marmara or Middle East Technical University needs to work at a university in a smaller city for two years to continue his or her academic career at the original institution.

Doctors need to complete a similar compulsory service before or after specializing. The proposal does not cover academics from foundation or private universities. It is reported that there are around 130,000 academics presently working at state universities in Turkey. This compulsory service proposal will cover about 80 percent of academics with doctorates.

The YÖK proposal will also include additional conditions, like scientific research or discovery clause for those who want to stay at the university from which they received their doctorate. This way, YÖK is trying to promote academic attainment and competitiveness.