Turkey's Higher Education Council launches 16 new university programs for 2026

The Higher Education Council (YÖK) announced that 16 new undergraduate and associate‑degree programmes will admit students for the first time in the 2026‑27 academic year. The programmes cover artificial intelligence, financial technology, biotechnology, digital game technology, mobile security, pharmaceutical production, livestock and aquaculture, and are intended to meet Turkey’s evolving technology and labour‑market needs, said YÖK President Erol Özvar.

In the past three years YÖK added roughly 70 new programmes, bringing the total number of AI‑related programmes to 785 across 171 Turkish universities. Interdisciplinary AI courses now combine with history, philosophy and business studies. Student enrolment capacity in AI and IT fields rose from 1,610 seats to 6,828, with similar expansions in other technology‑focused programmes.

A joint AI and Data School launched by Marmara University, Middle East Technical University, Istanbul Technical University and Boğaziçi University graduated about 30,000 students in its first year, reflecting strong demand for the new curricula.