Higher education quality assurance in Turkey and TRNC

Efforts to standardize and certify academic quality have been highlighted through recent institutional initiatives in Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

In Elazığ, Fırat University hosted a training program organized by the Higher Education Quality Council of Turkey (YÖKAK). The event focused on quality assurance and evaluation processes for approximately 150 representatives from 70 universities. During the session, YÖKAK President Prof. Dr. Ümit Kocabıçak addressed the varying standards across Turkey’s 208 universities, noting, “Can we say all our 208 universities are of the same quality? We cannot.”

Simultaneously, in the TRNC, the Higher Education Planning, Supervision, Accreditation and Coordination Board (YÖDAK) and YÖKAK held a meeting regarding the International Institutional Accreditation Program (UKAP). Aimed at universities in the TRNC, the program seeks to address challenges related to political recognition and diploma validity. YÖDAK President Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocan stated that successful UKAP accreditation could reduce the time required for national accreditation and facilitate registration with the European Quality Assurance Register (EQAR).