February 8, 2025 / Istanbul

Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education (CoHE), announced that they will continue expanding software engineering and AI-focused programs, emphasizing efforts to address the need for academic staff in these fields.

“We are working on several projects to ensure we have enough qualified academics for these programs,” Özvar stated.

He highlighted that 17 associate and undergraduate programs in software engineering and AI were introduced at 20 universities this year. “We will continue launching these programs at both state and foundation universities in Türkiye. At the same time, we will either restructure or phase out programs that fail to provide job opportunities for their graduates,” he added.

Özvar noted that vocational schools will shift their focus toward digitalization and digital skills, particularly replacing health-related vocational programs with those that offer better employment opportunities. “We will introduce programs that emphasize digital skills and digital transformation. Additionally, we have significant projects on digitalization in agriculture, which we will soon share with the public,” he said.

He also highlighted upcoming changes in open education faculties, stating that they will be restructured to align with the principles of lifelong learning.

Stressing the importance of quality assurance in higher education, Özvar emphasized that for Türkiye to strengthen its global presence and attract more international attention, universities must embrace quality as a core value. He added that these efforts can only be successful under the leadership of university rectors.