Members of Türkiye’s Higher Education Council (YÖK) who are in the TRNC were received by President Ersin Tatar on Tuesday.
Accompanying the delegation led by YÖK Vice President and Executive Board Member Haldun Göktaş was Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lefkoşa, Metin Feyzioğlu.
Tatar speaking during the visit, emphasized the importance of the support that YÖK will provide for increasing the inspection capabilities of YÖDAK, the TRNC’s Higher Education Planning, Evaluation, Accreditation and Coordination Council.
Welcoming the delegation, Tatar reminded that the TRNC was an education island and that there was a need for technical support in the field of information technology for the strengthening of YÖDAK, which manages higher education and supervises universities in the country.
He explained how unfortunate incidents originating from universities have expedited the consideration of future actions.
He mentioned recent meetings with Türkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lefkoşa Metin Feyzioğlu, and YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar regarding technical support.
President Tatar also underscored the importance of YÖK’s support for strengthening YÖDAK’s capabilities in oversight and enhancing universities, emphasizing the need for universities and the Ministry of National Education to work in harmony to implement proposed recommendations.
Highlighting the significance of higher education in the country, President Tatar stated that substantial investments exist in this area, emphasizing the need for the development of YÖDAK to safeguard higher education and strengthen the education system.
President Tatar also drew attention to the necessity of taking appropriate steps against any moves by South Cyprus to undermine the higher education sector in the TRNC, stressing the importance of maintaining and enhancing the brand value in higher education through a strong and reliable education system.
President Tatar emphasized that with the contributions of YÖK, the quality of higher education in the country will improve, expressing gratitude for the efforts made by the YÖK delegation in the country to provide technical support, with the necessary initiatives taken by Türkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Lefkoşa Metin Feyzioğlu, and YÖK Chairman Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar.
YÖK Deputy Chairman Haldun Göktaş for his part said that they had held fruitful contacts in the TRNC.
He explained that they have started efforts to introduce the Higher Education Information Management System used by YÖK to be used in the TRNC, emphasizing the technical aspects of entering student and graduate information into the system and sharing it with relevant institutions.