A workshop organised by the Higher Education Planning, Evaluation, Accreditation and Coordination Council (YÖDAK) and the Turkish Education Quality Council on Quality Assurance and Accreditation in Higher Education is underway.

The problems caused by people from third countries registered as university students were raised at the opening session of the workshop.

Delivering the opening speech, the head of YÖDAK, Prof Dr Turgay Avcı said that around 13,000 students from earthquake hit areas in Türkiye who are currently enrolled in TRNC universities will be given assistance and support.

Pointing out that higher education was the TRNC’s economic locomotive, Avcı said that competition between the various universities in the country raised the quality of education.

Also speaking the head of the Turkish Education Quality Council Prof Dr Muhsin Kar said that they aimed to further enhance quality and accreditation through a protocol signed with YÖDAK.

The Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu expressed the hope that the workshop will contribute to increasing quality at universities.

He however expressed his discontentment with the problems caused by some third country nationals who were brought to the TRNC under the guise of university students.

Çavuşoğlu said the government was working on addressing this issue and that YÖDAK also needed to do its part in solving this problem.

The Turkish Ambassador to Lefkoşa Metin Feyzioğu who also spoke at the session said that Türkiye was prepared to contribute to increasing quality.

President Ersin Tatar who delivered the final speech at the opening session said that students from earthquake hit areas in Türkiye wanted to return to the island to resume their education.

He added that it was everyone’s duty to preserve and increase the quality of education in the country.