“Türkiye is among the countries adapting most rapidly to transformation in higher education”

“Our universities must go beyond transferring knowledge and assume the role of coaching and guidance while preparing students for the future”

May 13, 2026

President of the Council of Higher Education Erol Özvar stated that major transformation is taking place in every field with the advancement of artificial intelligence and digital technologies, saying: “Türkiye is among the countries adapting most rapidly to transformation in higher education. We are introducing new programs very quickly so that young people can take a strong place in the world of the future.”

Özvar visited Tokat to attend the Science, Culture and Arts Festival at Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University and to hold a series of meetings.

In his speech at the opening of the festival, Özvar stated that the changes taking place in information technologies and digital technologies directly affect the higher education system, emphasizing the importance of universities adapting to this transformation.

Pointing out that universities and other educational institutions will lose their monopoly over knowledge in the coming period, Özvar said: “Individuals can now access knowledge without even going to an institution. In this new era, our universities must go beyond merely transferring knowledge and assume the role of coaching and guidance while preparing students for the future.”

Özvar continued: “Our universities should no longer be content with merely keeping young people in classrooms and delivering theoretical courses included in the curriculum. Alongside theoretical education, they must ensure that our students are equipped with intellectual and mental reasoning capacity, as well as analytical tools that will help them solve the problems they may encounter in life.”

- “The goal is to enhance quality”

Recalling that, as the Council of Higher Education, they had established the framework of the “Turkish Higher Education Vision Towards 2030” last year through extensive consultations with universities, Özvar said they had put forward a strong roadmap that will shape the future of the higher education system.

He stated: “The fundamental aim of this vision is to enhance quality through concrete, applicable, measurable, and monitorable policies, and to realize transformation through collective wisdom in a sustainable manner.”

He noted that their objective is to transform universities into strong centers that not only produce knowledge but also convert that knowledge into social benefit, innovation, production, and development.

- “We invite our universities to specialize in various fields”

Inviting higher education institutions and universities to specialize in areas where they can generate competitive advantage and relative competitiveness, Özvar stated:

“Since some of our universities possess the capacity of research universities, we encourage them more toward research, innovation, and creativity. Other universities are encouraged to structure themselves in ways that support regional development, namely the economic development of the regions in which they are located. Apart from these groups, we also strive to ensure that universities distinguished by their faculty and standing out with their capacity and quality in Türkiye’s priority scientific fields become specialized in those priority areas.”

- Strong call for Gaza: “The international academic community must not remain silent”

In his speech, Özvar also addressed the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, stating that tens of thousands of innocent people have lost their lives, millions have been displaced, and Gaza has been rendered virtually uninhabitable as a result of Israel’s genocidal policies.

Emphasizing that Türkiye has always regarded standing with the oppressed as a humanitarian and moral responsibility, Özvar stated: “The Turkish higher education community has strongly embraced the rightful cause of the Palestinian people as a whole. We have not forgotten what is happening in Gaza, nor will we allow it to be forgotten. On this occasion, we once again call on the international academic community to firmly defend human rights and academic freedoms and to adopt a more sensitive and responsible stance toward the tragedy unfolding in Gaza.”

Following his speech, Özvar presented awards to students and academics who had distinguished themselves through achievements in various disciplines at the Science, Culture and Arts Festival. As part of the festival, he visited the student club fair stands and later visited the Rector’s Office of Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, where he received information from Rector Prof. Fatih Yılmaz regarding the university’s academic activities.

- “Türkiye is a country with a long educational tradition”

Chairing the senate meeting at Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University, Özvar stated that higher education institutions in Türkiye have made remarkable progress compared to their counterparts in peer countries.

Emphasizing that Türkiye is a country with a strong educational tradition, Özvar said: “Türkiye can very comfortably be compared with any country in Europe in terms of education and is a country with comparative advantages. The fact that education in Türkiye has a deep-rooted tradition and has achieved significant progress is something that deserves emphasis.”

- Master Chef Apron Ceremony and Culinary Oath Ceremony

Following the senate meeting, Özvar attended the Master Chef Apron Ceremony and Culinary Oath Ceremony organized by the Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts at Zile Dinçerler School of Tourism and Hotel Management, where he presented certificates of achievement to the chefs. He also visited the TOGU Farm Milk Processing and R&D Center and received information about the ongoing activities.

During his visit, Özvar was accompanied by CoHE Executive Board Members Prof. Kemal Şenocak and Prof. Arif Bilgin.