European, Global and Intercultural Dimension in Curriculum Development
Türkiye has been a member of the Bologna Process since 2001, which was initiated with the Bologna Declaration in 1999 with the aim of increasing transparency, recognition and mobility processes in higher education systems.
Türkiye is a party to the Lisbon Convention in the process of harmonization with the European Higher Education Area. According to the 2020 Bologna Process Implementation Report, Türkiye is the first country with the highest number of students in higher education in the European Higher Education Area. The studies within the scope of the referencing process of TQF with EQF were initiated in 2014 under the coordination of VQA. The “Regulation on the Procedures and Principles for the Implementation of the Turkish Qualifications Framework”, which includes the principles for higher education, was published in the Official Gazette on 19/11/2015.
In line with the Recommendation No. 2008/C 111/01 of the European Parliament and the European Commission; national qualification development and EQF referencing studies were initiated in Türkiye in 2010. As a result of the studies, Türkiye Referencing Report was prepared in 2017 and TQF was referenced to EQF. Since there have been significant changes in the implementation of the TQF, it was decided to rereference the TQF to the EQF. In this context, the re-referencing process will be completed in 2025.
With the entry into force of the TQF and its reference to the EQF, it is aimed to support international mobility by ensuring that tools such as EUROPASS, credit transfer and quality assurance system, which have recently been developed for the modernization of education and training systems at European level, are more easily implemented in our country, and skills and qualifications are displayed in a transparent and comparable way.
Within the scope of the implementation of the TQF, the Procedures and Principles on the Use of the Turkish Qualifications Framework Logo on Higher Education Graduation Certificates entered into force on 16/02/2022. With this regulation, the TQF logo is used in higher education diplomas and their annexes. In addition, according to the Regulation on the Amendment to the Regulation on Recognition and Equivalence of Higher Education Diplomas Abroad published in the Official Gazette dated 12/08/2023 and numbered 32277, it is ruled that the decisions regarding equivalence to be made by the Science Field Advisory Commission will be made as a result of the examinations to be made by taking into account the TQF achievements and the relevant legislation and program achievements of the relevant program in Türkiye.
Partnerships and Networks
The most important stakeholder of the Turkish higher education system today is the EU. Within the scope of Erasmus+ and reciprocal agreements, student and academic staff transfers, student visits at all levels of higher education and semester-long study opportunities have gained momentum in the last decade. In addition to these activities with the EU, there are various partnerships in higher education, such as Fulbright scholarships provided by the US Foreign Exchange Commission, and agreements with various countries made by both MoNE and CoHE.
Institutions are allocated quotas in line with the provisions of the Regulation on Civil Servants to be Sent Abroad for the Purpose of Training in order for civil servants to pursue postgraduate studies (master’s, doctorate) abroad. Among the criteria used by institutions in the selection of civil servants to be sent abroad are the length of service of the personnel and their foreign language scores (YDS, TOEFL, IELTS). Personnel who go abroad financed by budgetary means are obliged to work in the sending state institution for at least twice the duration of their stay abroad.
Jean Monnet activities under the Erasmus+ Program aim to improve research and teaching in EU studies worldwide. These projects are designed to provide university students and young professionals with knowledge on EU issues and to strengthen the dialogue between the academic community and policymakers. The target group of Jean Monnet projects are higher education institutions that have academics/researchers specialized in EU issues and want to increase their teaching and research capacity on EU issues. As they are European Commission-based projects, applications are submitted directly to the Executive Agency for European Education and Culture in Brussels.