July 17, 2025

CoHE President Prof. Erol Özvar stated that he believes that all of the research universities have the potential to be among the top 500 in five years.

In addition to CoHE President Erol Özvar, Presidential Strategy and Budget Director İbrahim Şenel, CoHE Executive Board Members Prof. Naci Gündoğan and Prof. Erol Arcaklıoğlu, rectors and vice-rectors of research and candidate research universities attended the Evaluation Meeting for the Research Universities Support Program (ADEP) hosted by the Council of Higher Education and Boğaziçi University.

In his opening speech, Özvar said, “I would like to express my gratitude once again to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his endless support in the implementation and continuation of the Research Universities Support Program (RUPP), which activates the research and innovation culture of our higher education system.”

Özvar stated that they closely monitor the performances of all universities, especially 23 research universities, 20 public and 3 foundation universities, and reminded that they included six of the universities with the potential to become research universities in the Research Universities Candidate Monitoring Program. He noted that they consider research universities as the locomotive of the higher education system and that they desire universities to be more visible in the international arena.

Özvar said that the Presidential Strategy and Budget Directorate allocates resources to research universities annually to be used in research projects and added, "The total amount of resources allocated for ADEP has increased twelve and a half times in four years. We will further increase it next year as well."

As part of the 2030 Vision, Özvar emphasized that they have carried out a new study to improve the data-based management systems and digital maturity levels of universities and said, "A digital maturity model has been developed within the scope of the Project for Determining the Digital Maturity Levels of Turkish Universities. The pilot study of the draft model has been completed in 18 universities and will be extended to all Turkish universities next year. Our aim is to determine the digitalization levels of education, research, infrastructure and administrative processes at universities and to put forward a road map to guide each area."

Presidential Strategy and Budget Director İbrahim Şenel emphasized that science, technology and innovation are the fundamental elements of sustainable development. Stating that 100 million TL resources were allocated to universities in 2022 and this amount was increased twelve and a half times in four years, Şenel said that this increased support is a concrete indicator of the importance given to universities.

Boğaziçi University Rector Prof. Mehmet Naci İnci drew attention to the effects of the rapid technological transformations experienced worldwide on higher education systems.

The presentation of CoHE Executive Board Member Prof. Naci Gündoğan was followed by the general evaluation of the projects.