'University Monitoring and Evaluation General Report' published: 'Graduates find jobs in 4.5 months'

According to the statement made by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), the 2024 University Monitoring and Evaluation General Report was prepared by evaluating universities across categories such as education and training, research and development, projects and publications, internationalization, sustainability, and community service and social responsibility, based on their contributions to and development in higher education.

The report, prepared using data from public and independent sources, primarily the YÖKSİS database, evaluated universities based on 64 indicators. According to the report, the "time for university graduates to find their first job domestically," which was 6.4 months in 2022, was 4.5 months in 2023. The number of graduates from doctoral programs at universities also increased, rising from 11,290 to 13,561.

2 TURKISH UNIVERSITIES AMONG THE WORLD'S TOP 500

According to the YÖK report, Turkish universities continue to rise in global university ranking systems. While 58 universities from Turkey were included in the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings in 2022, this number rose to 75 in 2023. In the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) rankings, there were 24 universities in 2022, and 25 in 2023. Furthermore, 3 Turkish universities in THE and 2 in QS, which are among the world's most prestigious rankings, achieved the success of entering the top 500 universities in the world.

According to the report, an increase was recorded in the number of international students and faculty members at universities in Turkey. The ratio of international students coming to Turkey rose from 6.23 percent to 7.1 percent. The number of faculty members coming to Turkey within the scope of exchange programs also increased. In this context, the ratio of international faculty members per university rose from 13.2 to 16.6 in 2023.

An increase was also observed in the scientific productivity of universities in Turkey. While the number of institutional-addressed publications in indexed journals and books was 87,355 in 2022, this number rose to 89,334 in 2023.

30 PERCENT INCREASE IN POSITIVELY CONCLUDED PATENTS

The average for nationally collaborative publications in indexed journals and books for 188 universities in Turkey was 52 percent in 2023. While the rate of publications made through university-industry cooperation also increased, the number of citations to the publications of 63 universities was above the world average.

Last year, while 2,389 patent, utility model, or design applications were made from 144 universities, 1,096 of these applications were concluded positively. There was an increase of nearly 30 percent in the number of positively concluded patents in 2023.

The number of national and international projects supported by TÜBİTAK and provided to students, faculty members, and researchers was recorded as 35,519. The number of national and international education and research scholarships provided by TÜBİTAK to students, faculty members, and researchers for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral studies was 28,911.

Additionally, according to the information in the 2023 Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) Guide, the number of undergraduate programs accredited by accreditation bodies recognized or authorized by the Higher Education Quality Council rose from 965 to 1,209.

According to the report, 8,763 activities aimed at social integration and inclusivity were carried out through 4,827 social responsibility projects, while 10,075 social responsibility projects were conducted by students.

2 MILLION STUDENTS TOOK PART IN CLUBS

Approximately 2 million students actively took part in university clubs in Turkey. A total of 15,194 student clubs contributed to society by participating in social responsibility projects. 337 student groups from 98 universities also interacted at a global level through their memberships in international organizations.

In his foreword to the report, YÖK President Erol Özvar stated that among the issues that higher education will seek solutions for in the coming period are rapidly developing technology, climate and environmental problems, global conflicts, changes in social needs, employment, and economic crises.

Stating that higher education is an extremely dynamic field where change, transformation, innovation, and competition are intense, Özvar said, "Ensuring excellence in education, research, and all kinds of services, which are the elements of this dynamic field, is among our primary goals as YÖK. With this understanding, we attach great importance to the quality processes of our universities and closely follow their development with clear, measurable, and evidence-based criteria. While evaluating the current status and capacity of our higher education system, we are also working to be prepared for any challenges we may face in the future."

Stating that significant developments continue to take place regarding internationalization, which is among the strategic goals, Özvar noted that the establishment of the Turkey-Azerbaijan University and the initiation of preparatory work for the "Internationalization Strategy Document in Higher Education" stand out among the numerous studies and projects carried out in this context.

NUMBER OF DOCTORAL GRADUATES INCREASING

Erol Özvar, in his writing in the report, emphasized that the extremely rapid and profound technological developments in the world make it necessary to redefine and organize the structure of higher education, and made the following assessment:

First of all, with digitalization, teaching processes have become more interactive, and the necessity of reconsidering traditional education programs and teaching techniques has emerged. The fact that students can access learning materials more easily, and the increase and diversification of digital platforms, have created new dynamics in accessing information and in student-instructor relationships. Especially the developments in the field of artificial intelligence have created a very deep impact on higher education.

Özvar also expressed that it is gratifying that the number of doctoral graduates increased compared to the previous year, the time for graduates to find their first job domestically shortened, the number of universities with at least one accredited undergraduate program in the YKS guide and the number of accredited programs increased, the number of positively concluded patents increased, the number of national and international research scholarships provided by TÜBİTAK and the number of supported national and international projects increased, and more universities were included in the top 1,000 in the THE and QS ranking systems.

Sharing the information that 73 associate and undergraduate programs were opened and students were admitted in the 2024-2025 academic year, Özvar commented, "While determining these programs, a plan was made by taking into account the professions of the future with an employment-oriented approach. These programs, which are met with intense interest by students, will add strength to our country in the global competition in the field of artificial intelligence."

The report can be accessed at https://www.yok.gov.tr/documents/2024/universite-izleme-ve-degerlendirme-genel-raporu-2024.pdf.