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Afyon Kocatepe University (AKÜ) Senate Meeting Held with the Participation of THEQC President Prof. Dr. Ümit Kocabıçak
The Afyon Kocatepe University (AKÜ) Senate Meeting was held with the participation of the President of the Higher Education Quality Council (THEQC), Prof. Dr. Ümit Kocabıçak.
In the meeting attended by AKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karakaş, AKÜ senators, and academic and administrative unit managers, THEQCPresident Prof. Dr. Ümit Kocabıçak delivered a presentation on enhancing managerial competencies.
Before the presentation, AKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karakaş emphasized the importance of managerial competencies and provided information on the accreditation processes at AKÜ. Karakaş stated, “Accreditation has been one of the areas we have actively focused on over the past five and a half years. We have carried out numerous program accreditations. Additionally, at the end of 2023, we successfully completed the institutional accreditation process and obtained a full five-year accreditation as an institution.” Highlighting the significance of accreditation in institutionalization and fostering a culture of quality, Karakaş stressed that the university administration places great importance on this process.
Karakaş continued:
“In recent years, program accreditations have become even more significant. The Turkish Qualifications Framework (TYÇ) logos have been linked to accreditation. Therefore, institutions must be accredited to obtain the TYÇ logo. We initiated this process in 2019 and continue it dynamically. Institutional and program accreditation are ongoing processes. It is not something we can say is completed once obtained. It is a structure that continuously keeps you engaged, requires monitoring and updating, and restarts once completed. For this reason, we aim to establish this culture permanently within our university.”
Praise from Kocabıçak to AKÜ: “AKÜ Earned a Full Five-Year Accreditation with a Well-Deserved Score”
In his presentation titled “The Importance of Higher Education Quality Assurance Systems and Accreditations in a Changing World,” THEQC” President Prof. Dr. Ümit Kocabıçak stated that out of 208 universities in Turkey, only 24 have full accreditation. He emphasized that earning accreditation is not easy, stating:
“Knowing the scoring system out of 1000 points, I can confidently say that Afyon Kocatepe University obtained its full five-year accreditation with a well-deserved score. Currently, a total of 73 universities have either full or conditional accreditation, while 49 universities have a two-year conditional accreditation. It is, of course, important that major universities like Istanbul Technical University, METU, and Bilkent have full accreditation. However, for a university like Afyon Kocatepe University, which started the race later and has been simultaneously developing its physical infrastructure and academic staff, achieving full five-year accreditation is truly a remarkable success.”
“There Is No Field Unaffected by Artificial Intelligence”
Kocabıçak referred to the “Future of Jobs Report” published by the World Economic Forum and shared the following insights:
“According to the Future of Jobs Report, 170 million new job fields will emerge worldwide, while 92 million job roles will disappear. This transformation will result in a net increase of 78 million jobs. Employers highlight skill gaps as the biggest obstacle to skill transformation. Artificial intelligence, big data, and cybersecurity are gaining rapid importance in this regard. AI, robotics, and renewable energy are becoming prominent in every field. There is no discipline untouched by artificial intelligence.
According to the World Economic Forum report, universities have a responsibility to provide digital and technological education. Innovative curricula focused on artificial intelligence and cybersecurity should be integrated. Green transformation should equip students with green skills, while entrepreneurship and lifelong learning are becoming essential criteria across all fields. Human-centric skills, analytical thinking, flexibility, creativity, and leadership are now key differentiators in the digital world. Universities, regardless of their discipline, must embrace these changes. As institutions that nurture future leaders, we must not remain indifferent to these developments.”
“Universities Need Agile Leaders Who Can Make Quick Decisions and Take Precautions”
Referring to the emergence of the internet worldwide in February 1995, Kocabıçak stated:
“Data began to accumulate, the entire world started to know everything, and everything started generating data. The U.S. Pentagon questioned the situation, realizing that the previously slow and manageable world was changing. As the whole world started seeing everything simultaneously, concerns arose about losing control. American scientists define this as the VUCA world.”
Explaining that the VUCA world emerged due to volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, Kocabıçak stated:
“We live in a VUCA world; the world is no longer slow and controlled. We can counteract this volatility with vision and long-term planning, address uncertainty with understanding, resolve complexity with clarity, and tackle ambiguity with agile leadership. Universities need agile leaders who can make quick decisions and take precautions.”
1,348 Out of 7,348 Undergraduate Programs Are Accredited
Providing insights into the accreditation landscape in Turkey, Kocabıçak stated:
“Out of the total 7,873 undergraduate programs in Turkey, only 1,348 are accredited. The proportion of accredited programs is currently 17%, and we need to increase this to 30-35% soon. We submit program accreditations to the Vocational Qualifications Authority (MYK) via the Council of Higher Education (YÖK). If the program obtains a TYÇ logo, this logo is included in diploma supplements and transcripts. A graduate from a program with a TYÇ logo is recognized under the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) when they go abroad.
When a faculty member travels abroad for postdoctoral research or other academic activities, institutions check this accreditation in their database. They acknowledge that an external body has accredited the program. While we issue accreditations in Turkey, we also provide internationally approved certificates validated by European accreditation organizations. The data is automatically recorded in the European database.”
The Senate meeting concluded with responses to questions from the senators. Before the meeting, THEQC President Prof. Dr. Ümit Kocabıçak visited AKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karakaş in his office and signed the AKÜ honor book.