CoHE Determines Specialization Fields for Research Universities
June 7, 2021 / Istanbul
CoHE President Prof. M. A. Yekta Saraç met with the rectors of research and
candidate research universities that are included in CoHE’s
Research-oriented Specialization Project in a meeting hosted by Istanbul
Technical University.
The meeting was headed by CoHE President Saraç. The rectors and related
vice rectors of 16 universities in the project, including 11 research
universities and 5 candidate research universities, the president of
TÜBITAK and CoHE officials attended the meeting.
The decisions taken as a result of the studies carried out by CoHE on
pairing up the research universities listed in the 11th Development Plan
with priority sectors according to their competencies were shared with the
public for the first time and the steps to be taken were discussed in
detail at the meeting.
- The sector and field preferences of universities were collected
before the twinning
Before the twinning was made, CoHE collected the sector and field
preferences of universities according to the provision of "
Research universities will be paired up with priority sectors by taking
into account their competencies, business models based on projects
created to achieve the determined goals will be put into practice and
these collaborations will be supported
" which is set out in the 11th Development Plan.
- The results of TÜBITAK's "Competence Analysis of Universities by
Field" were also taken into consideration.
When the twinning was made, the preferences and competencies of
universities were tried to be matched up by having one-on-one meetings with
the rectors. During this process, TÜBITAK also evaluated the "Competence
Analysis of Universities by Field" and carried out the twinning procedure.
- All sectors and sub-fields are matched up with one or more
universities
All sectors and sub-fields included in the Development Plan are paired with
one or more universities. There are no unpaired fields left.
In this context, the sectors of chemistry, pharmaceuticals, medical
devices, electronic equipment, machinery-electrical equipment, automotive,
rail system vehicles, which are among the priority sectors in the
Development Plan, and the sector of food supply security, whose importance
has emerged once again during the pandemic, as well as the 39 sub-fields
were paired up with universities according to their competencies.
Click here for the "Twinning List of Research and Candidate Research
Universities with Priority Sectors and Sub-Fields in the 11th Development
Plan".
CoHE President Saraç made an opening speech. He said that CoHE matched up
one or more universities with all priority sectors and sub-fields in the
11th Development by taking into account the competencies and opinions of
universities. He stated that these choices will be forwarded to the
Strategy and Budget Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey for
decision-making processes to be carried out especially in investment
programs. He said that it would be easier to spend public resources
according to competence in a more efficient way.
“Our research and candidate research universities will be encouraged to
establish academic units such as research centers, departments and programs
related to the matched fields of specialization and to carry out
collaborative studies in the same priority sector and field,” President
Saraç said.
Click here to read the full transcript of the speech made by CoHE
President Prof. M. A. Yekta Saraç. (In Turkish)
- There are 16 universities in the project
As is known, Ankara University, Boğaziçi University, Erciyes University,
Gazi University, Gebze Technical University, Hacettepe University, İstanbul
Technical University, İstanbul University, İstanbul University- Cerrahpaşa,
Middle East Technical University and İzmir Institute of Technology were
determined as research universities and Bursa Uludağ
University, Çukurova University, Ege University, Selçuk University and
Yıldız Technical University were determined as candidate research universities under the New CoHE's
Research-oriented Specialization Project.