YÖK President Özvar spoke at the "Türkiye University Experience Research" program

President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, stated that the Turkey University Experience Survey (TÜDA) was prepared to measure the expectations and satisfaction levels of students in order to increase the quality of the service provided by universities, and said, "Our main goal is to preserve the strengths of our universities and to develop the aspects that are open to improvement."

Özvar attended the program regarding the results of the "Turkey University Experience Research" survey held at YÖK.

Speaking here, Özvar stated that it is imperative to create a structure that offers innovative approaches that will respond to the changing expectations of students and supports the strategic vision of universities for the future.

Özvar stated that the diversification of digital tools and platforms, the expansion of access to information, and the opportunities provided by technologies such as artificial intelligence require the redesign of educational programs and teaching methods, and that this transformation transforms the interaction models between students and academics, making learning processes more accessible, interactive, and participatory, and opens the doors to a new era in education.

Özvar, who emphasized that as YÖK, they act with the vision of being the pioneer of this transformation, said, "With an understanding that supports innovative approaches, we base our efforts on excellence in education, innovation in research and internationalization. In this context, TÜDA is an initiative that we are happy to share with the public and our institutions as a visionary research developed by the Council of Higher Education for the first time in 2024."

Özvar stated that TÜDA analyzes the current status and capacity of the higher education system with a data-based, comprehensive perspective and allows for the identification of areas for improvement for the future, and noted that this approach provides an important infrastructure to respond to the educational needs of individuals and to ensure that universities take strategic steps to increase their competitiveness at national and international levels.

"The findings guide the shaping of scientific outputs in areas of priority importance"

Özvar reported that the comprehensive data obtained by TÜDA provides insights and policy recommendations that will increase the academic capacity of universities.

Pointing out that Turkey is a country with the potential to create an impact on a global scale, Özvar made the following statements:

"TÜDA, as one of the starting points for the implementation of this potential, evaluates and strengthens the research capacities of our higher education institutions. While the findings of the research create a framework for new technologies and strategic innovations, they guide the shaping of scientific outputs in areas of priority importance. The internationalization strategy of our higher education system aims not only to increase the mobility of students and academics, but also to strengthen the potential for academic cooperation at regional and global levels."

Özvar, who explained that TÜDA provides strategic information that will increase the competitiveness of universities at the international level, said, "The concrete data obtained by TÜDA provides the opportunity to evaluate student experiences in a multi-faceted manner, guiding universities to determine policies that will harmonize employment and individual education goals much more effectively. The concept of lifelong learning is adopted as a critical approach for individuals to adapt to changing conditions and maintain continuity in their careers."

Students were asked 360 questions in 15 thematic areas

YÖK President Özvar stated that TÜDA was held between June 10 and October 21, 2024, with the participation of 264,344 students from 205 universities across Turkey, and was conducted through an online survey that comprehensively evaluated the factors affecting students' university experiences.

Özvar, who stated that this was the most comprehensive survey conducted in Turkey to date regarding higher education in terms of participation, said that the survey included 360 questions in 15 thematic areas, including the quality of education, academic staff, administrative staff, research and projects, digitalization and artificial intelligence, internationalization, health, life satisfaction, social and cultural activities, access, participation and inclusiveness, library and electronic resources, campus facilities, career goals, future expectations and habits.

Özvar, who stated that the survey included an open-ended question, emphasized that this question allowed students to express their own comments, suggestions and criticisms, thus providing a deeper dimension to the analysis of students' individual opinions.

"Our goal is to raise the standards and quality of our universities"

Prof. Dr. Özvar reported that data collected in the survey was anonymized and data confidentiality was ensured.

Pointing out that the method of the research was quite transparent, Özvar said:

"The main reason for establishing TÜDA is an understanding that takes student satisfaction as a basis and takes their expectations into account in order to increase the quality of our higher education institutions in Turkey and to raise the standards of education and training even higher. I would like to share with you that this survey was conducted in order to implement this understanding. Our most fundamental goal is to raise the standards and quality of education, research and development and social services of our universities by making continuous improvements."

Özvar stated that the survey will be conducted again in a year and the results will be shared with the university rectors.

Özvar explained that they have implemented a quality-based management approach at the university by basing it entirely on data and taking into account the expectations and evaluations of the university's stakeholders, and noted the following:

"This survey was prepared to measure the expectations and satisfaction levels of our students in order to increase the quality standards of all kinds of services provided by universities in Turkey, such as education, scientific research, academic services, and social services. Our main goal is to preserve the strengths of our universities and to develop the aspects that are open to improvement. The survey was conducted for this purpose."

Following his speech, Özvar also shared some survey results obtained from students' answers.

The news presented to subscribers via the AA News Feed System (HAS) is summarized and published on the Anadolu Agency website. Please contact us for subscription.