Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The TOBB President, in his speech at the opening of the Higher Education Sector Council Meeting, said that there is a direct relationship between a country's wealth and the level of education.

Stating that investments in education will be the biggest service to the country, Hisarciklıoğlu pointed out that there has been a very rapid change in the world with emerging technologies and new business models.

Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “In the information age, capital has shifted to information technologies to a great extent. The key to achieving the goal of becoming one of the world's largest economies is to produce more technology.”

Hisarciklıoğlu emphasized that the main purpose of universities should be to raise a new generation who create technology, not only consume it, and said, “We raise a new generation which can more effectively access information and use technology, learns fast, capable of interdisciplinary thinking, has strong reflex, and invents.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu reminded that 77 of Turkey's 206 universities are foundation universities as of last year, adding that foundation universities are important in terms of academic competition in higher education.

Hisarcıklıoğlu, pointing to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's criticism of foundation universities, said, “Our President's criticism has merit. We must draw lessons from it.”

- Education according to the needs of the market and the country

Hisarcıklıoğlu, drawing attention to the need to strengthen the relationship between the private sector's goals and education planning, said:

“I believe that if quotas are planned according to the needs of the private sector, there will be a significant increase in productivity in higher education. Each vacancy means that our country's resources are wasted. We need to update departments and programs in universities with regards to the needs of the future.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stressed that theoretical education should be integrated with practical education and that joint education programs implemented at TOBB University of Economics and Technology should be extended in all universities.

Hisarcıklıoğlu, noting that important steps have been taken in shaping vocational education according to the needs of the market and the country, said:

“National Education Minister Ziya Selçuk announced that for the first time, in regards to Turkey's Automobile, departments which will train the technical elements needed in the production of electric vehicles in the field of motor vehicle technology will be opened. Departments regarding vehicle engineering have been added to PhD scholarship programs at YÖK. PhD. engineers will be trained in fields such as energy and hybrid engines.”

Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that their goal is to place more universities from Turkey among the best universities in the world, to train more entrepreneurs from among university graduates and to create more inventions and patents in the field of high technology, adding that these goals can be accomplished through a singular aim with stakeholders.

- “Foundation universities make a significant contribution to higher education”

TOBB Turkey Higher Education Council President Bekir Okan also drew attention to the importance of foundation universities, “Foundation universities make significant contributions to higher education with their facilities, vision and staff. University-industry cooperation is carried out with the importance put on R&D.”

Okan reported that among the issues on their agenda are foundation universities' tuition fees, the application of base price, quotas of master's and doctoral programs, new criteria for determining 2020-2021 annual quotas of undergraduate departments.

The meeting continued closed to the press after the opening speeches.