Autonomous University Demands in the Process of the Transformation of Turkey's Higher Education Field (original) (raw)

Neo-liberal Transformation in Turkish Higher Education System Neo-liberal Transformation in Turkish Higher Education System: A New Story of a Turning Point: Draft Proposition on the Higher Education Law i

Neo-liberal policies have been affecting in waves all public services in Turkey since 1980s. The most affected institutions in this process were education in general and the higher education institutions in particular. This article consists of two dimensions. In the first dimension, the process, in which the neo-liberal policies started with a breeze in 1980s, but got stronger and stronger in every decade and became a storm to destroy the public space in many parts of the world, will be examined in the context of Turkish and higher education policies. In the second dimension, the focus will be on the attempted changes on the draft proposition of the higher education law which was shared with the public in 2012 and was on the agenda for a considerably long time. The basic assumption of the study is that this draft formed the second most important step of the neo-liberal transformation in the Turkish higher education system, and was actually the shaping of the process into flesh and bones which started in 1980s. Also, this process shows similarities with the countries where neo-liberal policies are implemented, and a common language is used in the destruction of the public space.

Neo-Liberal Transformation in Turkish Higher Education System: A New Story of a Turning Point: Draft Proposition on the Higher Education Law

The Journal for Critical Education Policy Studies, 2014

Neo-liberal policies have been affecting in waves all public services in Turkey since 1980s. The most affected institutions in this process were education in general and the higher education institutions in particular. This article consists of two dimensions. In the first dimension, the process, in which the neo-liberal policies started with a breeze in 1980s, but got stronger and stronger in every decade and became a storm to destroy the public space in many parts of the world, will be examined in the context of Turkish and higher education policies. In the second dimension, the focus will be on the attempted changes on the draft proposition of the higher education law which was shared with the public in 2012 and was on the agenda for a considerably long time. The basic assumption of the study is that this draft formed the second most important step of the neo-liberal transformation in the Turkish higher education system, and was actually the shaping of the process into flesh and b...

Democratization and massification of higher education in Turkey and challenges ahead.

The imbalance between supply and demand of higher education has always been the greatest challenge for Turkey. To overcome this challenge, Turkey beginning in 2006 established new public universities, mostly in less developed provinces. Now one in two fresh high school graduates is being admitted to a higher education program. Yet, the rapid growth of higher education triggered debates about the quality of education. Based on an analysis of available statistics and reports, this essay analyzes this process of massification in Turkey, including a brief synopsis of its higher education system at the beginning of the new millennium, and then the rapid expansion after 2006. It then discusses four major challenges waiting to be addressed in this nation of some 80 million. First, there is still significant unmet demand for higher education in Turkey and there is no clear strategy on how to meet with the increasing demand in the coming years. Second, there is a substantial shortage as well as regional imbalance of quality faculty. Third, the governance structure of higher education system has been poor; the system is considered as too centralized, highly rigid, and out-of-date. Fourth, as Turkey abolished tuition fees at public universities since 2013, it needs to develop a sustainable financial model.

Main Problems of Higher Education and Quests for Reform in Turkey

Anatolian Journal of Education, 2022

When the higher education policies and practices of various countries in the world are examined, it is seen that higher education systems are open to innovations and improvements in order to meet the changing and developing needs of society. However, the problems experienced by higher education institutions in Turkey significantly limit both the solution of social problems and the provision of social development. From this point of view, this study aims to comprehensively address the existing problems that prevent higher education institutions from reaching the desired level in Turkey. In the current study, the main problematic areas in higher education in Turkey were determined by document analysis technique. In this context, the study deals with the problems of supply, demand, and imbalance in higher education; the problem of faculty members; autonomy and accountability; and internationalization in higher education are discussed. The results of the study show that higher education in Turkey is insufficient in many aspects to deal with the problems experienced. The study draws attention to some points that need to be addressed in the struggle with the problems experienced in higher education and ends with some regulation suggestions.

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY ON UNIVERSITY AUTONOMY: A COMPARISON OF TURKEY AND SOME EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES

Autonomy is defined as leaving the right of administration to the individuals or institutions. As for the university autonomy, it was studied under the four main headings such as organizational, financial, staffing and academic autonomy in European University Association Reports in 2009 and 2011. In this study, comparisons about organizational, financial, staffing and academic autonomy of universities were made among Turkey and top rated European countries such as England, Estonia, Ireland and Finland in the light of EUA's latest projects. The findings were discussed in accordance with the data obtained from European Commission Report about Bologna process in 2012 in terms of competitiveness of universities. There were significant relationships among the variables such as higher education ratio in the population, employment opportunities of graduates, number of articles published in international indexed journals and academic performance of academics in top rated countries within organizational, financial, staffing and academic autonomy of universities.