YÖK announces: New departments in the field of artificial intelligence are coming to universities!

According to the statement made by YÖK, a meeting titled "Artificial Intelligence, Digitalization, and Big Data" was held under the chairmanship of Özvar at the Otağ-ı Hümayun of Yıldız Technical University.

In his speech at the meeting, Özvar stated that there is a need to open programs at the undergraduate and associate degree levels to train human resources in the fields of artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence solutions, digitalization, and big data.

Reminding that the "Working Group for the Determination of Artificial Intelligence-Based Programs" was established within the Council of Higher Education for this purpose, Özvar shared the information that, "The working group examined the department and program structures of universities in different countries and presented potential program proposals to our council."

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, DIGITALIZATION, AND BIG DATA

Stating that they have evaluated the proposals of the working group, Özvar used the expression, "We have decided to open 5 undergraduate programs, 2 of which are for the first time, and 12 entirely new associate degree programs at universities in the fields of artificial intelligence, digitalization, and big data." Özvar noted that the number of programs will increase.

Explaining that they have decided to open the "Information Systems and Technologies," "Software Development," and "Information Security Technology" departments, which currently exist in various state and foundation universities, in other universities as well, Özvar stated that in addition to these, they have decided to open 2 new undergraduate programs.

Explaining that the new departments planned to be opened at the undergraduate level are "Data Science and Analytics" and "Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning," Özvar listed the universities where the undergraduate and associate degree programs will be opened as follows:

"Adana Alparslan Türkeş Science and Technology University, Atatürk University, Bursa Technical University, Ege University, Eskişehir Technical University, Gaziantep University, Harran University, Karabük University, Karadeniz Technical University, Kayseri University, Kocaeli University, Konya Technical University, Manisa Celal Bayar University, Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Sakarya University, Sakarya University of Applied Sciences, Sivas Cumhuriyet University, Trakya University, and Yıldız Technical University."

ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS

Özvar described the 12 associate degree programs, all of which will be opened for the first time, as follows:

"Artificial intelligence operations, big data analytics, autonomous systems technician, digital transformation electronics, robotics and artificial intelligence, game development and programming, cloud computing operations, manufacturing execution systems, corporate informatics expertise, unmanned vehicle technician, front-end software development, back-end software development."

Özvar announced that for some of the programs, the courses included in the curriculum will be taught online and synchronously by faculty members from major universities for the first time.

Stating that students at the universities where the programs will be opened will thus be able to take courses from faculty members at other universities, Özvar spoke as follows:

"We also want to maximize the benefits of these programs, to which industry representatives will also contribute. Ensuring quality assurance in the new programs to be opened is our most important agenda item. The contributions of our expert professors in the fields of informatics and artificial intelligence, as well as relevant industry representatives, will increase the quality of the curricula of our new programs."

"WE HAVE DETERMINED THE COMMON CURRICULUM"

Erol Özvar stated that they took many factors into consideration when deciding which university these programs would be opened at, noting that they first identified universities that already have undergraduate programs such as computer engineering and software engineering, and associate degree programs such as computer programming, web design, and coding.

Expressing that the courses in the 12 associate degree programs decided to be opened through the working group have been determined, Özvar said, "Thus, we have determined the common curriculum. Since some of the undergraduate departments already exist, they have a curriculum. Even so, we desire for a common list of courses to be determined for undergraduate departments as well and for a common curriculum to be followed."