Council of Higher Education (YÖK) President Erol Özvar announced that new programs will be introduced at universities in the fields of health care and agriculture to support digitalization.
Speaking at the 261st Inter-University Council Meeting held at the YÖK presidency, Özvar stated that the "2030 Vision for Turkish Higher Education" Regional Meetings held in various provinces of Türkiye were very productive.
He mentioned that a report would be prepared to ensure that these meetings lead to lasting results, and that the action plan derived from the report would be shared with universities next month.
"Our main goal is to establish a strategic framework that encompasses concrete steps to enhance the competitiveness of our universities, foster a sustainable higher education system, and elevate the national and international reputation of our universities," he said.
Özvar also announced that the number of universities offering AI-based programs would be increased to 80, including private universities. He further emphasized that the number of associate and bachelor’s degree programs in cybersecurity, a major priority alongside IT and AI-based programs, would be expanded.
Stressing that YÖK aims to transform health education through digitalization and information technologies at universities, he mentioned that new associate degree programs have been identified and will be introduced this year, with continued work on bachelor’s programs.
Özvar stated that they aim to create educational models to support the digital transformation of the agriculture sector. He emphasized that agriculture is one of the industries where technologies like AI, precision agriculture, IoT-based monitoring systems, and big data analytics need to be rapidly integrated.
He outlined plans to develop associate and bachelor’s degree programs in agriculture focused on digital technologies. Özvar also mentioned efforts to revise existing programs and strengthen collaborations with the sector to boost Türkiye's agricultural production capacity and global competitiveness.
Proposals for new associate and bachelor’s programs have been received, and work is underway. Once finalized, these programs will be presented to universities.
Özvar also mentioned ongoing work to transform vocational programs in fields such as machinery, metallurgy and construction into more specialized programs as part of efforts to create employment-sensitive programs.
While announcing plans to introduce associate, bachelor’s and graduate programs in green and sustainable technologies, similar to the digitalization and AI initiatives, he emphasized the need for universities to integrate a green transformation perspective into their existing curricula.
Özvar reminded universities applying for doctoral programs that accreditation is required. He also emphasized that accreditation would be necessary for establishing academic units such as faculties, higher schools, institutes, and research centers. "We expect all universities to complete their accreditation processes by 2027," he added.
He also shared details about the Sports-Friendly Campus Project, launched on May 19 last year, with applications received in February. "Out of the 83 universities that applied in the first year, 66 passed the preliminary evaluation. Their 77 campuses are now moving to the panelist process," Özvar said.
The evaluation process, led by 57 academic experts from Sports Sciences and Nutrition-Dietetics, is expected to conclude in the first week of May. Results will be shared with the public during the week of the May 19 Atatürk Memorial, Youth and Sports Day.
