Rector Prof. Dr. Ali Akdoğan attended the Eastern Black Sea Project Regional Development Administration Universities Union (UNI-DOKAP) meeting hosted by Giresun University with the participation of Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, Chairman of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK).

 Along with our University Rector Prof. Dr. Ali Akdoğan, at the consultation meeting where Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar met with the regional rectors, the rectors of the union members Amasya, Artvin Çoruh, Bayburt, Giresun, Gümüşhane, Hitit, Karadeniz Teknik, Ondokuz Mayıs, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Samsun, Sinop, Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa, Trabzon and Eurasia Universities also took part.

At the meeting, UNI-DOKAP Term President Giresun University Rector Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Can made a presentation on the situation of regional universities. In his speech,  YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar stated that university unions are formations that unite their powers within the framework of the missions of higher education institutions and stated that he believes that the Eastern Black Sea Universities Union, which currently carries out its activities with 15 member universities, will make significant contributions to Turkish higher education life in the coming years.? ?

An understanding focused on quality, diversity and regional development

Underlining that this union, which includes universities carrying out a regional development mission, has the potential to provide its members with a relative competitiveness with full cooperation and solidarity, Özvar said: We attach importance to a planning understanding and approach focused on diversity and regional development.” 

Universities will play an active role in local and global problems

Pointing out that universities will play a more effective role in eliminating local or global problems affecting different segments of society in the coming period, YÖK President Özvar continued his speech as follows:

“Scientific research and projects carried out by universities against the latest crises are the most reliable source of information to deal with these threats. In this respect, our institutions, individually or jointly, should mobilize their instructors against the aforementioned problems and prepare projects.

The projects and incentive mechanisms that we will develop as the Council of Higher Education in this period will be based on the big data capacity, quality standards, employment interests, strong academic performance, international interactions, scientific productivity, new models of university-industry cooperation and knowledge diplomacy of our universities. Our expectation from our university administrators is that they follow and evaluate their institutions through these criteria in areas where they can create a competitive advantage compared to other institutions.

We believe that the national and global visibility of our institutions that produce at international standards, make quality publications, offer the information they produce to the service of the society and provide quality assurance in education and training will increase.”

“Higher capacity and quality in universities”

Sharing with the participants that the Higher Education Quality Board will evaluate universities from next year within the framework set forth by the Council of Higher Education, Özvar said that they will serve more to Turkey of the future and to all geographies where Turkey is hope, with the “higher capacity and quality in universities”. They have worked to build in line with the vision they have determined.

Eastern Black Sea University Association and other unions will refer universities to a network of creative relations in terms of their goals; Özvar shared that he fully believes that he will produce economic and social value with his groundbreaking research, qualified teaching and innovative outputs and that he will operate in a way that will serve the country.

After the opening part of the meeting was completed, a consultation meeting was held.