The President of the Council of Higher Education in Turkey

The President of the Council of Higher Education in Turkey, Prof. Yusuf Ziya Özcan, has given a talk to more than a hundred students and acedemicians of higher education from different Universities in the UK during his visit to London in April 2009.

This talk was organised by London Centre for Social Studies (LCSS) in collaboration with Westminster University.

The President of the Council of Higher Education in Turkey, Prof. Yusuf Ziya Özcan has underlined the need of qualified lecturers and researchers in Turkey and advised Turkish students to come back to their hometown Turkey after they have completed their masters and Phd abroad. At Westminster University building Yusuf Ziya Ozcan and the committee from Higher Education Council has been met by many early career researchers of Phd and masters students

Council of Higher Education Members Prof. Dr. Atilla Eris and Prof Dr. Durmus Günay has accompanied Özcan’s talk. Mentioning the examination system and the desire of many students to enter university, Özcan explained that in order to help students trying to get high enough results by the University, the increase of the quota is required. This leads the necessary increase of number of the lecturers at the Universities and so Turkish Council of Higher Education has been taking steps like sending successful  students abroad for higher education to be able to meet this need.

Özcan mentioned that they have been trying to arrange everything related to having better qualification not anything else and he proposed that the ones criticizing them now in 10 years’ time will be shaking hands and admiring what they have done. He proposed that again this is the best which could be done at the moment.

‘From now it is not going to be subjective choosing the lecturers and really qualified ones will be considered” said Prof Özcan. Talking about two step university examination system, he stated the aim was -not to make students be obliged to make their decisions because of their results of 190 min examination.

He emphasized the real need in Turkey for Turkish Scientists studied abroad and so anyone returning back to hometown will not refused and he stated ” We are not in that situation to say no, your country needs every single of you. We are expecting your contribution for your country.”

Prof. Ozcan has concluded his talk by answering the questions of the attendees.