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CoHE President Erol Özvar’s First Meeting with University Rectors

August 26, 2021 / Ankara

Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education (CoHE), had his first meeting with Turkish university rectors in Ankara. In addition to all the rectors of state and foundation universities, CoHE Executive Board members also attended the meeting.

- CoHE President announced the new vision of the Council for the future

CoHE President Erol Özvar announced the new vision of the Council of Higher Education for the future at the meeting.

He thanked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for appointing him as the President of the Council of Higher Education and noted that the meeting aimed to hold consultations about the new academic year and the educational activities of higher education institutions.

He stated that there were 8 million students at 127 state universities, 73 foundation universities and four foundation vocational schools in Turkey and said, “Big data in higher education, employment-oriented universities, academic productivity, strong academic performance, new models of university-industry cooperation, international interactions of Turkish universities, and lastly, the widespread use of knowledge diplomacy, which has become an important terminology in recent years, will be the outlines of our new vision.”

- "Universities will be expected to focus particularly on employment”

CoHE President Erol Özvar stated that higher education institutions would be expected to focus particularly on employment in the new term and said, “Another important topic for the new period would be to introduce a management style that monitors the labor market in Turkey and the employment of the graduates from Turkish universities.”

He said that apart from the understanding of traditional university education, education and training both at school and in the field should be updated rapidly for employment and added, "In this context, it has become essential for Turkish higher education institutions to make arrangements that will allow students to take elective courses from different disciplines in all programs by taking into account the field competencies, and to increase the rate of these elective courses as much as possible.”

- “Currently, in-person learning is our priority”

CoHE President also talked about the new academic year and noted that they had faced some extremely crucial challenges and changes in higher education due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the last 1,5 years.

“What we have learned during the pandemic might not have changed the traditional values of higher education. However, the pandemic had serious impacts on our working, production and information transfer style as it had in many other sectors. We have learned many things ranging from digital literacy to online course teaching techniques, from lecture notes that supplement online courses and different materials to online conferences and seminars. Turkish universities have worked hard in terms of method, content and quality. But I want to clearly express that in-person learning is our current priority within the scope of the support and decisions of all relevant institutions, including the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey and the Ministry of Health.

- "I would like to congratulate the university administrations”

CoHE President Erol Özvar pointed out that with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Council of Higher Education and Turkish universities managed to take the necessary measures by taking swift action from the first week. He emphasized that the process in the field was managed prudently with the coronavirus committees established at the universities.

He stated that the New Normalization Process in the Global Pandemic Guide, which was prepared by CoHE in consultation with universities, and different institutions and organizations the previous year, offered framework decisions for universities to continue education during the pandemic. He noted that the relevant committees of universities should make plans for different applications of different programs according to the regional and domestic course of the pandemic. He also reiterated that university senates were authorized to take decisions.

“On one hand, universities implemented health priority policies by making arrangements in programs considering the local conditions of university managements, but on the other hand they improved the necessary infrastructural investments to maintain education. As the President of the Council of Higher Education, I want to congratulate the university administrations for carrying out their activities smoothly under these extraordinary circumstances.”

- "Universities will start offering in-person classes”

CoHE President Erol Özvar said that campuses were open except the days in which the whole country had full lockdown and that some applied training courses and R&D works continued to be carried out at universities. He noted that face-to-face education was given in several programs, especially health programs, by taking measures along with online applications in the hybrid learning model.

"Universities will start offering in-person classes in the 2021-2022 academic year by taking into account the course of the pandemic and the notices of the relevant institutions and organizations. In addition, the hybrid learning model, which was blended according to the course of the pandemic, will continue to be used in formal education to facilitate coordination among Turkish higher education institutions. It is extremely important to ensure that applied training is carried out face-to-face by taking all necessary precautions for obtaining program achievements. I would like to remind you that theoretical courses can be offered face-to-face or to a certain extent through distance education, depending on the course of the pandemic.”

- "Universities should identify the risks and take measures accordingly"

He pointed out that educational activities, academic research, various services and administrative activities were carried out on campuses and said, “Therefore, higher education institutions should identify the risks not only in terms of education but also in terms of their fields of activity, and take the necessary measures accordingly."

- CoHE has contacted some institutions about dormitories

He reminded that the management of the dormitories affiliated to the Directorate General of Student Loans and Dormitories is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. He said that the Council of Higher Education contacted the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Health and that they were waiting for the statement regarding the use of the dormitories.

CoHE President stated that higher education institutions should provide some conditions that would reduce the risk and prevent the spread in face-to-face education during the pandemic. He said that various institutions and organizations in the world had made various proposals and started to implement these proposals to combat the pandemic.

- Universities should take different measures for different programs and applications

He emphasized that the regional and local course of the pandemic may differ, and that close communication with local authorities was important to prevent and control the spread of the pandemic. “The universities are expected to make plans for the implementation of education and training during the pandemic and to implement different measures for different programs and practices. The Safe Campus Guide that includes measures against COVID-19 for campuses, and another guide for education and training procedures, which are prepared by the Council and will contain the updated framework decisions of the Council, will be instructive for the applications. A website that includes the decisions will also be helpful for keeping up-to-date with the updates.”

- COVID-19 measures at campuses and dormitories

He stated that it was extremely important to encourage the vaccination of all academic and administrative staff, and students while making preparations for in-person classes, and to comply with the measures to be taken in social and common use areas and said: "Complying with mask and distance rules on campuses, ensuring that vaccinated people and unvaccinated people stay in separate places in dormitories, monitoring the PCR steps of unvaccinated individuals in dormitories, having isolation rooms for those who show symptoms, offering medical counseling both in dormitories and campuses, airing out classrooms as much as possible, and ensuring that course hours are limited are some basic measures to reduce the spread of the pandemic.”

- Universities should accelerate their R&D studies in the fight against the pandemic

He stated that the World Health Organization drew attention to the information pollution and mental health and suggested working with opinion leaders for the management of the pandemic. He said that many universities in the States provided counseling services for mental health.

"Minimizing the adverse effects of the global pandemic on our youth, academic and administrative staff and making them see the advantages should be among our primary duties. Universities should accelerate their R&D studies in the fight against the pandemic, work in a multi-disciplinary manner, support the fight against information pollution with social sciences and stand by our society and youth,” he said.

- "It will become clear after the publication of the circulars in a few days"

He stated that campuses were still open and that students would continue to benefit from the libraries and other facilities according to the methods determined by the university administrations. "Decisions regarding the fight against the pandemic and the local decisions on higher education have been partially clarified with the decisions taken by the relevant ministries, and other relevant issues will be discussed in a few days. It will become clear after the publication of the circulars in a few days,” Özvar said.

- CoHE and universities will be more participatory and in close contact

CoHE President Erol Özvar said that he believed the Council and universities would contribute to higher education in a more participatory manner and be in close contact with each other in the new term. He noted that the Council was planning to collaborate with universities, even by taking into account the regional affinities and that they would announce this program in a short time.

- "There is no distinction between Turkish state and foundation universities"

"There is no distinction between Turkish state and foundation universities in terms of providing education and training services, which we consider as the most important public service," he said. CoHE President Özvar pointed out that institutions were indivisible, similar to public service. "All of our institutions, where quality education is provided, scientific studies are rewarded, and socially sensitive services are produced, are commendable. We consider it our duty to continue the services we have provided so far and to add new services."

- "Why wouldn’t Turkish universities have their success stories on a world scale?"

“Why wouldn’t Turkish universities have their success stories on a world scale?” asked CoHE President Erol Özvar and added "I personally believe that each Turkish higher education institution has the capacity and potential to build such a story. The rich scientific heritage inherited from our ancient culture and civilization gives us the clue to success. We just have to work hard.”

- Rectors asked their questions and conveyed their opinions

Following the speech of CoHE President Erol Özvar, the meeting continued with the "question and request" section. Many university rectors, who attended the meeting, had the opportunity to ask their questions and convey their opinions and requests to the President.

The meeting lasted about two hours and ended with a family photo of CoHE President Erol Özvar and the rectors.

Click here to read the full transcript of the speech made by CoHE President Erol Özvar. (In Turkish)

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