Speaking during a program broadcast on CNN Türk, Erol Özvar -- the president of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) -- outlined major reforms planned for Türkiye's higher education system, including curriculum restructuring, digital skills development, vocational training and internationalization.
According to a statement issued by YÖK, Özvar said the reforms aim to modernize university education, accelerate students' transition into the workforce and strengthen the country's global competitiveness in scientific research.
Özvar said students in Türkiye currently spend 16 years in formal education, including 12 years of compulsory schooling followed by four-year undergraduate programs.
He noted that military service, internships and job searches after graduation further delay young people's entry into the workforce.
To address this issue, YÖK is working on restructuring undergraduate programs around 180 credits, allowing students to complete their degrees in three years.
Özvar said universities had been preparing for the transition for nearly a year, adding that he had instructed university senates and administrative boards to carry out the necessary preparations during his visits.
Özvar emphasized that reducing the duration of undergraduate education must be accompanied by a comprehensive review of university course loads.
He said undergraduate programs in Türkiye typically include around 60 courses, compared with approximately 20 to 25 in European universities.
Efforts to reduce the number of courses are continuing this year, with the revised system expected to begin operating next year.
Özvar also stressed the importance of updating course content to reflect technological developments.
He said artificial intelligence should be integrated into university curricula, while students' digital competencies and AI literacy should be strengthened.
The YÖK president noted that higher education programs in fields with declining demand were being revised, while new programs were being introduced to meet emerging labor market needs.
Nearly 80 new types of academic programs have been established over the past three years, approximately two-thirds at the associate degree level and one-third at the undergraduate level.
Özvar said the number of programs related to artificial intelligence and digital technologies had reached 724 across 160 universities.
These programs cover fields including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science and analytics, autonomous systems, robotics, cybersecurity, and digital transformation in agriculture and healthcare.
He added that enrollment rates in the newly introduced programs were approaching 100%.
Özvar highlighted the Digital University Platform, established to provide digital skills training not only to university students but also to graduates and working professionals.
The platform offers free, online, live and interactive courses.
Supported by Marmara University, Boğaziçi University, Istanbul Technical University, Middle East Technical University and Yıldız Technical University, the platform currently provides 16 different training programs.
According to Özvar, the initiative received 233,000 applications this year, with approximately 55,000 people participating in training sessions.
He also emphasized that technological transformation has changed how individuals acquire knowledge and professional skills.
Under a micro-credential system introduced this year, competencies gained outside universities can now be included in academic transcripts, provided they meet quality standards established by YÖK.
Özvar announced plans to allow dentistry and pharmacy students who meet certain academic achievement requirements to pursue double majors in selected engineering programs at their universities.
Students who successfully complete both programs will receive two separate diplomas.
YÖK aims to introduce the initiative in the 2027–2028 academic year.
The council is also preparing a new initiative under the auspices of the Presidency to promote vocational higher education programs and encourage more students to consider them.
Özvar said comprehensive promotional activities would be carried out to increase awareness of vocational college programs and their career opportunities.
Özvar said the existing internship system does not provide students with sufficient practical experience.
Under a new workplace-based vocational education model, students will be required to spend at least one of their four semesters in a business environment.
Where feasible, a model involving two semesters of classroom education and two semesters of workplace training could also be implemented.
The initiative will initially be introduced in seven provinces: Ankara, Bursa, Gaziantep, Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli and Konya.
Özvar said the objective is to ensure students gain meaningful exposure to real working environments before graduation, strengthening their professional skills and employability.
Highlighting Türkiye's growing scientific research capacity, Özvar said increased investment in higher education and scientific research had positively affected university performance.
He noted that one of YÖK's main policies is to encourage universities to specialize and differentiate themselves according to their competitive strengths.
Türkiye currently has 23 designated research universities, including 20 public institutions and three foundation universities.
Özvar said sustained efforts in recent years had helped Türkiye climb from 35th to 13th place globally in scientific publication output.
He added that Turkish research universities had reached the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) average in high-quality scientific publication performance.
Özvar described the development as one of the most significant advances in Turkish higher education over the past four to five decades.
Özvar said approximately 380,000 international students are currently studying in Türkiye, while more than 3,000 international academics are employed at Turkish universities.
He noted that Türkiye ranks among the world's top seven countries in international student mobility.
More than 95% of international students finance their education through their own resources, he said.
According to Özvar, international students contribute approximately $3 billion annually to the Turkish economy.
The YÖK president also emphasized the role of technology development zones, commonly known as technoparks, in transforming university research into entrepreneurship and commercial innovation.
He said YÖK wants research conducted by academics in laboratories and research centers to generate intellectual property rights, support the establishment of new companies and create economic added value.
Özvar stressed that strengthening the connection between academic research, technological innovation and industry remains a key priority for Türkiye's higher education strategy.
