• President of the Council of Higher Education Özvar and university rectors visit Poland following their visit to Malaysia
• Turkish and Polish universities convened in Gdańsk for joint projects: A new initiative by the Council of Higher Education for cooperation in Europe
• The Poland-Türkiye Research Center was inaugurated at the University of Gdańsk
• Under the leadership of President Özvar, 19 Turkish universities participated in the “2nd Türkiye-Poland Rectors Forum” held in Poland
• A memorandum of understanding on cooperation in higher education will be signed between Türkiye and Poland
• Özvar: “Our universities possess significant potential to work together in the fields of education, research, and innovation”
• “We are developing a deeper, more effective, and results-oriented partnership with Poland in higher education”

May 8, 2026

President of the Council of Higher Education Erol Özvar and the rectors of 19 Turkish universities are visiting Poland to develop new collaborations in the field of higher education between Türkiye and Poland.

The Turkish delegation led by Özvar participated in the “2nd Türkiye–Poland Rectors Forum” held in the Polish city of Gdańsk.

In a press statement delivered prior to the forum together with Poland’s Minister of Science and Higher Education, Marcin Kulasek, Özvar stated that their visit was based on three key pillars: the “2nd Türkiye–Poland Rectors Forum,” the “Opening Ceremony of the Poland–Türkiye Research Center,” and the “Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Higher Education between Türkiye and Poland.”

Emphasizing that the establishment of the Poland-Türkiye Research Center within the University of Gdańsk was an extremely important development, Özvar said: “Considering that the history of our relations spans more than six centuries, this center will provide an opportunity to closely examine the traces of the deep-rooted relations between the two countries in the modern era.”

Noting that a memorandum of understanding on higher education would be signed between the two countries for the first time, Özvar stated: “Through this memorandum, we will establish a legal framework that will enable future scientific and innovation-based cooperation between the Council of Higher Education and the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.”

Özvar also stated that Türkiye and Poland are among the two countries whose academics cooperate most extensively with one another in Europe, adding that these meetings would further strengthen and advance such cooperation.

- The Poland-Türkiye Research Center will serve as a “coordination hub”

Following the press statement, the Poland-Türkiye Research Center was officially inaugurated at the University of Gdańsk.

The opening ceremony was conducted with a ribbon-cutting by President of the Council of Higher Education Özvar, Poland’s Minister of Science and Higher Education Marcin Kulasek, and accompanying officials.

Expressing his wishes for the center’s success, Özvar stated: “Poland is one of the countries in Europe where the most comprehensive and profound studies on Turkology are conducted.”

The Poland-Türkiye Research Center aims to establish a permanent foundation for science diplomacy between the two countries, strengthen joint research capacity, and make inter-university cooperation sustainable.

The Center is expected to contribute to the development of joint projects in strategic fields such as artificial intelligence, health sciences, energy, defense technologies, agriculture, sustainability, and social sciences.

The Poland-Türkiye Research Center is also intended to serve as a coordination hub for joint doctoral programs, scientific publications, and R&D projects to be developed between universities in the two countries.

- Cooperation between the universities of the two countries holds strategic importance for Europe

In his speech at the opening of the 2nd Türkiye-Poland Rectors Forum, Özvar stated that the forum would establish a more institutional and strategic basis for cooperation between Türkiye and Poland in the fields of higher education, science, and innovation.

Pointing out that the global higher education system is undergoing one of the most complex transformation processes in its history, and that regional conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and global uncertainties directly affect academic mobility and international research cooperation, Özvar stressed that science diplomacy has become a critical instrument for fostering dialogue and strengthening mutual trust among countries.

- Emphasis on a young and dynamic human resource base

Özvar noted that Polish universities stand out through their integration into the European research system, their strength in applied engineering, and their capacity for university-industry cooperation. He added that Turkish universities attract attention with their young and dynamic human resources, diversity in research, engineering capabilities, and expertise in health sciences.

Özvar emphasized that cooperation between the universities of the two countries carries strategic value for the European Research Area.

He stated that establishing joint excellence networks, increasing dual-degree and joint doctoral programs, and developing joint funding mechanisms between TÜBİTAK and Polish institutions would make academic relations between the two countries more sustainable. He also expressed Türkiye’s readiness to develop a deeper, more effective, and results-oriented partnership with Poland in higher education.

Within the framework of the forum, joint areas of cooperation are being discussed in fields such as artificial intelligence, dual-use technologies, energy technologies, green transformation, health sciences, biotechnology, smart cities, disaster resilience, and advanced materials.