Özvar: "We are Building a Permanent and Systematic Bridge Between Our Universities and the Industry "

Council of Higher Education and Istanbul Chamber of Industry Sign Cooperation Protocol

October 22, 2025

A strategic partnership uniting higher education and industry has been launched.

The Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ICI) Assembly Meeting was held with the participation of CoHE President Prof. Erol Özvar under the theme “Qualified Workforce and Innovative Ecosystem for Türkiye in Global Competition: The New Vision of the Council of Higher Education and Transformation in University-Industry Cooperation.” During the meeting, a Cooperation Protocol was signed between CoHE and ICI.

In his address, Özvar said they were taking an important and valuable step to bring together Türkiye’s production power and knowledge capacity on the same platform, stating, “We are building a lasting and systematic bridge between our universities and the industrial world.”

Özvar defined the main goal of the protocol as follows: “To make cooperation between our universities and industry systematic, sustainable, and measurable; to enhance the R&D, innovation, and sustainability capacity of our industrial sector; to ensure the cultivation of a qualified workforce; to link academic knowledge with production; to enable vocational schools to be jointly managed with industry; and to update curricula in line with sectoral needs.”

“Our students will gain experience directly within the professional world”

Explaining that they have adopted a practice-oriented education model closely tied to employment, Özvar said that the newly signed protocol contributes to a new approach that integrates production with education, science with industry, and knowledge with development.

“In the new model,” he said, “our students will not only learn in classrooms but will also gain experience directly within real work environments. In this way, our graduates will become more competent, productive, and employment-focused individuals. This model will also significantly strengthen cooperation between universities and industry.”

Emphasizing that vocational schools located in Organized Industrial Zones (OIZs) provide students with the opportunity to participate in production processes and gain skills alongside theoretical learning, Özvar noted: “OIZ-based vocational schools have achieved remarkably high employment rates, reaching up to 92 percent after graduation. We are continuing our efforts to expand this model nationwide.”

“Industry chambers should take direct initiative in vocational school management”

Özvar stated that they expect industry chambers and their members to take a more active role in the management of vocational schools: “As the Council of Higher Education, we expect industry chambers to take direct initiative in managing the vocational schools affiliated with our universities. Joint management of these schools with industry and commerce chambers would represent a highly critical step for us.”

According to the protocol, the university-industry cooperation model developed by ICI and approved by CoHE will be expanded to universities across the country. The two sides will jointly identify and map the industry’s future workforce needs and skill gaps, design new programs where necessary, and work on joint management models for vocational schools in Istanbul. “Following these analyses, we aim to meet the expectations of the industrial sector through updated curricula, workplace training, and internship models,” Özvar explained.

Özvar also emphasized that R&D and product development projects currently conducted between ICI members and universities are strengthening the knowledge-based production culture of Turkish industry. He added that CoHE aims to institutionalize these relationships, monitor project progress, facilitate partnerships based on sectoral needs, and establish common platforms to transfer academic expertise to industry.

“We value the involvement of experienced industry professionals in education”

Highlighting the importance of involving experienced professionals in education, Özvar said: “It is a great opportunity for our students to learn from seasoned industry experts—especially those with doctoral degrees—who can serve as part-time instructors under Article 46, particularly in vocational and applied programs. Their contribution will significantly enhance students’ practical skills.”

“Industry Representatives Should Mentor Students as Their Own Employees”

CoHE President Prof. Erol Özvar stated that academics should go beyond providing consultancy and gain direct industry experience. He emphasized that faculty members taking part in the business world periodically to observe current production processes, technological innovations, and business dynamics would make valuable contributions to higher education curricula. “It is of great importance that industry representatives take ownership of students as if they were their own employees,” Özvar said. “We must act with an approach that guides and encourages young people, recognizing that the new generation has different expectations and learning styles.”

ICI Chairman Bahçıvan: “We Will Meet the Expectations of the Business World”

Chairman of the Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ICI) Erdal Bahçıvan expressed his enthusiasm for launching a cooperation initiative with the CoHE focused on vocational schools and for contributing to the training of qualified technical personnel for industry.

He stated that the protocol aims to enhance the educational and employment competencies of vocational schools, strengthen the connection between vocational high schools and vocationally oriented higher education, and meet society’s expectations for higher education in a functional and efficient way. “One of our main goals in this project,” Bahçıvan said, “is to create a model that allows young people who graduate from vocational high schools and move on to vocational schools to return to vocational high schools as instructors after graduation—thus addressing the need for qualified teachers in vocational education.”

Hakkari Governor Çelik: “We Would Be Glad to See Your Investments in Hakkari”

Hakkari Governor Ali Çelik, in his remarks, called on industrialists and investors to visit Hakkari more often, drawing attention to the potential of the Yüksekova Organized Industrial Zone. “We would be happy to see you make investments in our province,” he said. Çelik also highlighted President Özvar’s support for Hakkari University, describing it as a young institution that serves a youthful population and has achieved notable progress in a short time.

Following the speeches, a cooperation protocol was signed between the Council of Higher Education and the Istanbul Chamber of Industry. The protocol was signed by CoHE President Prof. Erol Özvar and ICI Chairman Erdal Bahçıvan.

The meeting, held at the ICI Odakule Fazıl Zobu Assembly Hall, was attended by Istanbul University Rector Prof. Osman Bülent Zülfikar, Yıldız Technical University Rector Prof. Eyüp Debik, Boğaziçi University Rector Prof. Mehmet Naci İnci, Marmara University Rector Prof. Mehmet Emin Okur, Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Rector Prof. Nuri Aydın, as well as members of the Yüksekova Chamber of Commerce and Industry Assembly.