The "International Quality Assurance and Accreditation Conference," organized by the Higher Education Quality Board (YÖKAK), took place in Ankara. YÖK President Erol Özvar, in his opening speech at the congress, reported that 73 universities in Türkiye have institutional accreditation. Özvar stated that they expect nearly all universities to complete the accreditation process by 2027.
The conference, with the main theme "Internalizing and Improving Quality in Higher Education," aimed to bring together scientific developments, innovations, experiences and different perspectives on quality assurance in higher education. It was held at Hacı Bayram Veli University.
The conference brought together many scientists from Türkiye and around the world, as well as representatives from national and international accreditation bodies, to discuss the future of higher education, present papers and engage in discussions.
Özvar also highlighted that there are 24 national and 13 international accreditation bodies authorized by YÖKAK to carry out accreditation processes. He mentioned, "We expect the number of programs passing accreditation in our higher education system to increase."
One of the opening speakers at the conference was Doris Herrmann, vice president of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). Herrmann mentioned ongoing updates to education standards and guidelines in Europe, with plans to publish new education standards by 2027.
She also discussed the upcoming meeting of European education ministers in Tirana, where developments in higher education until 2030 will be discussed, focusing on students' expectations, experiences and social lives.
Gözde Bozkurt, an academic who presented a paper titled "Complementary Map of Quality in Higher Education: Missing Data and Evaluation Strategies" with professor Volkan Öngel, rector of Istanbul Beykent University, discussed evaluating real performance more accurately based on the Indicator Evaluation Report shared on the Higher Education Quality Board's official website.
Bozkurt emphasized that taking missing data into account can lead to more effective and knowledge-based decisions, helping higher education institutions evaluate their real performance more accurately and develop more effective strategies to enhance quality.
During the conference, accreditation certificates were also handed over to university rectors who qualified for institutional accreditation. The accreditation certificates were received on behalf of Istanbul Beykent University by Vice Rector Kazım Sarı.
