Yeditepe University Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Durman: "Turkey has a strong infrastructure capable of transitioning to a holistic model in education."
Speaking at the TÖZOK Education Symposium, Yeditepe University Rector Prof. Mehmet Durman stated that Türkiye possesses significant experience and a robust educational infrastructure, and that this foundation could be further strengthened through a more holistic framework that extends from preschool to higher education.
Emphasizing that the common education systems implemented in European universities for many years have also been successfully introduced in Türkiye, Prof. Durman said, “The models applied in our universities clearly demonstrate our country’s capacity to align with international standards in education. The future will belong to countries that design and implement their education systems with a lifelong learning perspective and with all relevant components in place.
“Türkiye Successfully Implements Systems Compatible with Europe”
Prof. Durman recalled that the Bologna Process, launched in 1999 and now encompassing 49 countries, has established a common framework for universities across Europe. Noting that Türkiye joined this process at an early stage, he stated, “Our country has long been implementing practices compatible with Europe in areas such as the credit system, diploma transparency, and quality assurance in universities.”
Pointing out that this experience represents an important achievement, Prof. Durman added that the same approach could serve as an inspiration for educational stages from preschool through the end of secondary education.
An Approach Centered on Student Effort
Prof. Durman explained that, in universities, courses are no longer evaluated solely based on weekly class hours, but rather on the total effort students devote to their studies. He noted that this approach contributes to a more balanced distribution of the workload placed on students.
“If designed properly, this logic can also contribute to healthier planning of the learning process in schools,” said Prof. Durman, emphasizing that Türkiye has the human resources and experience necessary to implement such innovative approaches.
Diplomas Becoming More Transparent
Prof. Durman stated that the standardized documents added to university diplomas, which describe the content of education in detail, enable graduates to be more easily understood both at home and abroad, and that this practice has been successfully maintained in Türkiye for many years.
He added that the broader adoption of such transparency practices across all levels of the education system could further enhance Türkiye’s international visibility.
Strong Experience in Quality Assurance
Prof. Durman emphasized that the quality assurance systems implemented in Turkish universities make significant contributions to the continuous improvement of education, noting that the experience gained in this field constitutes a major achievement.
“This experience can also serve as a guide for other levels of our education system,” he said, adding that sharing the quality culture would raise overall success in education.
“We Must Carry Forward the Strength We Possess in Education”
Recalling that Türkiye already has a qualifications framework covering all levels of education from preschool to university, Prof. Durman stated that the next objective should be to strengthen this structure through closer connections.
Prof. Durman concluded with the following remarks:
“Türkiye is a country that has taken very important steps in aligning its education system with international standards. Carrying this strong infrastructure forward with a more holistic vision in the coming period will be one of our country’s greatest achievements.”