Erol Özvar, president of the Higher Education Council (YÖK), announced significant reforms to improve Türkiye's higher education system during the 259th Inter-University Council Meeting. Özvar highlighted substantial government investments and YÖK's initiatives, noting that total university admissions now exceed 1 million, indicating substantial growth.
A fundamental reform includes introducing the Turkish Qualifications Framework (TYÇ) logo in the Higher Education Programs and Quotas Guide for the first time this year. Currently, 109 universities and 898 programs are authorized to use this logo, which helps speed up international diploma recognition and improves graduates' job prospects.
Özvar announced discontinuing evening programs at all state universities from the upcoming academic year, redirecting quotas from closed programs to new, job-focused ones to maintain about 1 million total quotas. He also emphasized the closure of second-shift programs in state universities to optimize resource allocation and enhance educational quality, particularly in fields like architecture, pharmacy, psychology, nutrition-dietetics and basic sciences, where admissions will be aligned more closely with market demand.
He also mentioned that certain open education programs like child development, philosophy, sociology, history, Turkish language and literature will now transition to a second university category exclusively for students over 35. Özvar emphasized that these measures aim to meet employment demands, particularly in professions such as teaching.
Özvar reaffirmed YÖK's commitment to enhancing program quality and promoting internationalization in Turkish higher education. Initiatives include developing an Internationalization Strategy Document through extensive consultations with various stakeholders, aiming to improve global competitiveness and safeguard the rights of international students.
