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CoHE President Visits Uşak University

April 25, 2022 / Uşak

CoHE President Erol Özvar examined the works of Uşak University on industry cooperation and received information about these works during his visit to the university.

Erol Özvar paid a visit to Prof. Ekrem Savaş, Rector of Uşak University, at his office. He expressed that he was happy to be in Uşak and stated that they came to Uşak to get information about the activities of Uşak University and to meet with academics and administrators. "Universities not only provide education, but also play a major role in the economic development of our country with the support they give to the industry. Uşak University is one of the best examples of this cooperation," he said.

He noted that Uşak University had come a long way in specialization in the fields of leather, textile and ceramics within the framework of its mission. "We know that Uşak University has excellent exemplary models in university-business relations in our country for the upcoming period. We came together with the respectable professors of the university to find an answer to this question: 'What more can the university do for university-business relations?'. In a way, we will evaluate education, training and university-business relations,” he said.

Özvar attended the senate meeting of the university after his visit to the Rector’s Office. He stated that Uşak University was a young university and said, “It is like an airplane ready to take off. I am sure you will turn this opportunity into a great advantage.”

“Turkish universities should increase their visibility”

He emphasized that they needed to give time to newly-established universities and noted that he believed that universities would complete their development over time and that each university would find its way with a vision.

“The most important thing for all Turkish universities is appearance. They should increase their visibility. We have some plans to increase their visibility to the desired level. Campuses are quite important for visibility. Universities are established in good provinces if they are fortunate. Looking at the campus, I think Uşak University could be considered fortunate in that respect. The campus is located in a good spot of a beautiful province. The second topic regarding visibility is academic productivity. When we look at the big universities in the world, we see that these universities do not allocate large communication budgets; instead, they become visible through academic productivity.”

“Positive discrimination must be made for research-active academics”

Özvar stated that the most objective measure for visibility was academic productivity, which he also considered as the parameter, and said, "Positive discrimination must be made for research-active academics."

“We should take care of those who make good publications and hold them in high esteem. More publications contribute more to all of us. We should support them. We should hold the academics who make top quality publications in high esteem.

Productivity must be promoted to build a favorable climate in a university. We are keeping an eye on the publications from all universities. Another important issue for visibility is student satisfaction. A university becomes more visible when its students are content. The world's most effective communicator does not do better than a student promoting his or her university. Reach your students. Attract good students to your universities.”

-Visits and Inspections-

Following the senate meeting, Erol Özvar visited the Technology Transfer Office, which has 100 students, including 20 international students, and got information about the office. He touched on the importance of international students. He stated that he was very pleased with the fact that international students studying here through a program at Uşak University acted as a bridge between the industrialists of their own countries and those in Turkey. Then he toured the campus of the university and made site visits to Leather, Textile and Ceramic Design Application and Research Center, Scientific Analysis and Technological Application and Research Center, and the Training Hall of the Equestrian and Javelin Club.

Erol Özvar also visited Ulubey Canyon, one of the largest canyons in the world, and the ancient city of Blaundus.

“We observe the relations of universities with the industry and non-governmental organizations”

Özvar visited Uşak Governor Funda Kocabıyık at her office and then toured the sales outlet of the leather production center in Uşak Penitentiary Institution. He went to the Technopark in the Uşak Organized Industrial Zone and got information about their works. Then he met with the executive board members of the Uşak Organized Industrial Zone. Özvar stated that they observed the relations of universities with the industry and non-governmental organizations of the region during their visits and said, “How can CoHE help universities contribute more to regional development?” We visit universities to find an answer to this question.”

“We are ready to support the business world”

He noted that Uşak was one of the provinces most prone to the cooperation between business world and universities. He stated that university-industry cooperation had not gone beyond consulting to the business world until today and said, “We do not want it to continue like this. Turkish universities also have a very important accumulation of knowledge. Transfer of experience is extremely important. I think that industrialists and businessmen from Uşak can develop faster with the university. As CoHE, we are ready to support them.”

“There is a demographic structure behind our decision about minimum scores”

CoHE President Özvar stated that the annual number of high school graduates in Turkey had reached 1 million and that this number would increase in the coming years as the young population and schooling rate increased.

“3 million 250 thousand people will take the exam this year. It will be 4 million next year. There is a demographic structure behind our decision to abolish the condition of minimum scores. We need to change our view about how a university should be. There used to be an elitist understanding which believed that other than 2 percent of the population that is well educated, the rest, who are either primary or secondary school graduates, could carry out duties. Universities have started to become institutions that serve the society in general.”

He noted that applications for the university exam created an expectation.

“We need to understand the expectations of people. The reason why some quotas at universities are empty is the changing preferences of students. What drives students' expectations? There are many reasons for this. Social values are also changing. Current wages do not satisfy graduates either. This is the reality. When the Turkish economy grows by 7 percent, it provides employment to 1 million people every year. If a university student educates himself well, he will have a job opportunity. For this reason, students must go out of campus. Due to the pandemic, people turned to public job positions. This will get better when life gets back to normal. We will do this together.”

-Iftar Dinner with Students-

CoHE President Özvar talked and had iftar dinner with the students at Uşak University. Many international students also joined the iftar dinner.

-Minister Kasapoğlu Gave His Support -

During his conversations with the students, the members of the Archery Club asked Özvar for support for their equestrian project. Özvar called Mehmet Kasapoğlu, the Minister of Youth and Sports, and conveyed the demands of the students to the Minister on the phone. He said the Minister gave his support for the project.

Özvar returned to Ankara after completing his visit to Uşak.

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