“Professions of the Future, Future of Professions” Workshop Takes Place
at CoHE
November 5, 2019 / Ankara
The Council of Higher Education continues to carry out intensive and
integrated works to train the individuals of the 21st century in line with
the global planners of higher education, politicians, and leaders of the
business world.
The Council also keeps up with primary skills and concepts such as
digital-age literacy, fundamental, scientific and economic technological
literacy, use of digital media and platforms, effective communication,
interaction with heterogeneous groups, acting within the big picture, and
flexibility and adaptability.
The Council of Higher Education organized an event entitled “Professions of
the Future, Future of Professions” for the first time in the history of
higher education with the participation of Vice President Fuat Oktay.
In addition to CoHE President Prof. M. A. Yekta Saraç, Simone Kaslowski,
President of TUSIAD, Abdurrahman Kaan, President of MUSIAD, M. Rifat
Hisarcıklıoğlu, President of TOBB, Prof. Acar Baltaş, CoHE members, all
university rectors, related academics, representatives of the business
world and professionals attended the event.
The possible professions that will occur in the future and the future
structures of the current professions were discussed at the workshop.
After the briefing of CoHE Executive Board Member Prof. Naci Gündoğan, CoHE
President Prof. M. A. Yekta Saraç and Vice President Fuat Oktay delivered
the opening speeches.
CoHE President Saraç said that the workshop aimed to review the concepts
and discussions regarding the competencies and professional tendencies that
would become prominent in higher education in the future and to present
effective structural systems that would allow the acquisition of knowledge
and skills in higher education.
He talked about the statistical data on the Turkish higher education and
comprehensive works carried out by CoHE. He said that the business world is
using a different technological infrastructure in almost all fields,
emphasizing how it is in search of employees for positions that are beyond
the traditional job descriptions. He also highlighted that they had
improved associate and bachelor’s degree programs greatly.
Click here to read the full transcript of the speech made by CoHE President
Prof. M. A. Yekta Saraç. (in Turkish)
Vice President Fuat Oktay touched on the significance of human resources
that steers sustainable development in a country. He pointed out that the
outputs of the events and workshops led by CoHE would be important in
presenting a projection for the future of professions in Turkey.
Following the opening speeches, CoHE President Saraç presented the book
“Information on Classical Literature” by the Turkish Language Association
to Deputy President Fuat Oktay.
After the presentation of the gift, Prof. Dr. Acar Baltaş moderated the
interactive panel which was organized with the participation of M. Rifat
Hisarcıklıoğlu, President of TOBB, Simone Kaslowski, President of TUSIAD,
and Abdurrahman Kaan, President of MUSIAD. The panelists answered the
questions of the participants.
In the afternoon session of the event, three concurrent workshops, namely
“Engineering and Science,” “Health” and “Social Sciences,” were held with
the participation of the related academics and representatives from the
business world.
After the workshops, the representatives of the workshop presented the
workshop reports to the CoHE Executive Board. CoHE officials said that they
would take notice of these reports when taking steps related to this issue.