December 17, 2025

President of the Council of Higher Education (CoHe) Erol Özvar invited scholars whose academic and freedom of expression rights have been restricted at Western universities due to protests over Gaza to come to Türkiye.

Speaking at a Senate meeting held at the Gülhane Campus of the University of Health Sciences (SBÜ), Özvar shared assessments on the strategic goals of higher education, the vision of internationalization, and global academic freedoms.

Drawing attention to the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza and its repercussions in the academic world, Özvar criticized the dismissal of academics in universities across the United States and Europe for protesting against genocide. Describing this situation as “extremely offensive,” Özvar stated:

“The genocide taking place in Gaza has painfully revealed to what extent academic freedoms can actually be exercised around the world. As Turkish universities, we will continue to raise our voices against this genocide. We invite all faculty members and scientists who are under pressure, unable to exercise freedom of expression, or harmed due to restrictions on academic autonomy to our country. We must fully open the doors of our universities not only to our own staff but also to international scientists who can work in harmony and contribute to the production of science and technology.”

Recalling that more than 3,000 international faculty members are currently employed at Turkish universities, Özvar noted that increasing this number is a strategic priority and emphasized that high-quality international scholars can be employed at Turkish universities.

“Our Primary Focus Is Raising Quality”

Özvar underlined that internationalization is not merely a numerical increase but also an indicator of quality.

Stating that Türkiye hosts students from more than 190 countries, Özvar said their goal is to make Türkiye a center of attraction for the Middle East, Africa, the Balkans, and the Turkic world. He summarized their vision for quality as follows:

“Our foremost priority is to further strengthen the quality of Türkiye’s higher education institutions. Internationalization plays a key role in enhancing both educational standards and research capacity in science and technology at universities. This is one of the core reasons why we seek to remain open to the world. The more open universities are to the world and the more willing they are to engage in international cooperation, the more they develop. As internationalization increases, the interest of the world’s leading scientists and researchers in our universities will also grow accordingly.”

Türkiye at the Top of the Green University Index

In his speech, Özvar also touched upon the international achievements of Turkish universities, sharing data from the UI GreenMetric 2025 Green University Index. He noted that Türkiye is the country with the highest number of universities ranked in the top 500, adding that the strong support provided by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the higher education system played a major role in this success. Özvar congratulated all universities included in the rankings.

“High-Quality and Affordable Healthcare Services Set Us Apart Globally”

Emphasizing that Türkiye has reached global standards in medical education and healthcare services, Özvar stated that offering these services at high quality and accessible costs places Türkiye in a privileged position worldwide.

“There are very few countries that can offer world-class medical education and healthcare services at tolerable costs. Taken together, these developments are highly significant in illustrating how far Türkiye has progressed,” he said.

A Global Brand in Health Education: University of Health Sciences

Özvar also referred to the international activities of SBÜ, which hosted the meeting, drawing attention to the university’s agreements in regions such as Bukhara, Syria, Somalia, Sarajevo, and Jerusalem. Stating that they wish SBÜ to expand further and establish new campuses in other countries, Özvar said: “In the coming years, we aim to increase our cooperation in science and technology with Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Far East.”

SBÜ Rector Aslan: “We Are a World University Operating Internationally”

Rector of the University of Health Sciences, Prof. Kemaleddin Aslan, highlighted the guiding role of the Council of Higher Education in the university’s national and international activities and its internationalization process. Aslan stated that, with the approvals and guidance of the Council of Higher Education and the support of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, SBÜ has reached the status of a world university operating internationally.

Rectors of universities from Somalia, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), Palestine, Syria, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with which SBÜ conducts joint international education programs, also participated in the Senate meeting online.

Following the meeting, certificates were presented by the Council of Higher Education President Özvar to doctors who came to Türkiye and completed their training under a bilateral protocol signed between SBÜ and the Bukhara Medical Institute of Uzbekistan.