CoHE President Özvar Attends 50th Anniversary Celebration Program of
Fırat University
April 14, 2025 / Elazığ
Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education, attended the 50th
Anniversary Celebration Program organized at Fırat University. Delivering
his opening speech, Özvar emphasized that universities are not only
knowledge production centers but also institutions that shape the future of
a nation. He emphasized that Fırat University is a stable and visionary
educational institution that builds a strong bridge between science and
development.
Özvar informed that universities applying to open a doctoral program are
required to have an accredited program. Stating that one of the important
steps they have recently taken in the field of internationalization is to
expand university collaborations across borders, Özvar said: “This year,
Türkiye-Azerbaijan University has started education in Baku. The
International University of Turkic States was also established a short
while ago. As in the case of Türkiye-Azerbaijan University, the will and
support of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was decisive in the
establishment process of this university.”
Stating that they attach great importance to Turkish universities opening
programs abroad in areas where they are strong, Özvar said, “In the coming
years, we will open the programs of not only the universities in Istanbul,
Ankara, Izmir, but also the programs of the major universities in other
provinces abroad.”
Explaining that they are focusing on employment-oriented programs by
removing programs that are less related to employment in higher education
from the system, Özvar said, “As of this year, we plan to increase the
number of universities with AI programs to over 80.”
He said that they see digital transformation as a strategic issue in higher
education, especially in health and agriculture programs.
Özvar said, “We are carrying out a comprehensive and strategic
transformation process for our vocational colleges in order to provide an
employment-oriented education opportunity. In this context, we are
expanding the Organized Industrial Zone Vocational School (OSB-MYO)
program. We will continue to work on this issue.”
Speaking at the program, Elazığ Governor Numan Hatipoğlu said: “We are
closely following the process of our university becoming a research
university. We will continue to support our university in this regard with
determination.”
Prof. Fahrettin Göktaş, Rector of Elazığ University, said: “Our university
has achieved many of its achievements today as a result of the hard work of
our esteemed academic and administrative staff and students in line with
your suggestions and has received all of the certificates of achievement
from you personally.”
In addition to the President of the Council of Higher Education Erol Özvar,
Elazığ Governor Numan Hatipoğlu, Deputy Minister of National Defense Şuay
Alpay, CoHE Executive Board Members Prof. Erol Arcaklıoğlu and Prof.
Hüseyin Karaman, provincial high officials, rectors of 18 Turkish
universities, representatives of universities in Poland, Uzbekistan,
Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, academics, press
members, students and many guests attended the event held at Fırat
University.
Following the 50th Anniversary Program, CoHE President Özvar chaired the
senate meeting of Fırat University. Then he met and chatted with university
students.