TURQUAS PROJECT

Council of Higher Education (CoHE, Yükseköğretim Kurulu - YÖK) is an autonomous public body responsible for the planning, coordination, governance and supervision of higher education within the provisions set forth in the Constitution of the Turkish Republic and the Higher Education Law. As of 2016 August, there are 181 universities (109 state and 64 non-profit foundation universities, 8 non-profit foundation vocational schools) in Turkey. Currently, student population is around 7,3 million, which is the second highest population in the World. Since 2009, the number of the Turkish universities, having received the European Credit Transfer System Label (ECTS Label) is 31 which is the highest within EHEA countries, while that of the ones, having received the Diploma Supplement Label (DS Label) is 73. Similar to Erasmus Programme, through the Regulation of Mevlana Exchange Programme dated 23/08/2011, Mevlana Exchange Programme is on progress as a programme which aims the exchange of students and academic staff between the Turkish higher education institutions and higher education institutions of all higher education institutions throughout the world regardless of geographical borders.

The Bologna Process was initiated in Turkish HEIs in 2001. However, affords and activities related to Bologna reforms gained momentum particularly after 2005. Among these were the reform activities to set up a national system of QA, with a structure and function comparable to its transnational counterparts. The National Bologna Experts Team, first set up in 2004, had a very important role regarding the proliferation and implementation of the process in Turkey. Six project phases have been finalised so far in coordination with CoHE and the Turkish NA. The Bologna team contributed to each project phase by researches, seminars/workshops/conferences/site-visits to introduce workload based credit system (ECTS) together with course and programme learning outcomes (LOs), to create awareness on QA procedures with particular focus on internal QA, and to determine higher education qualifications (TQF-HE, TYYÇ in Turkish). Achievements of the six Bologna Projects can be outlined as follows:

• Introduction of ECTS credit system to be used initially for credit transfer,
• Switching from the national contact-hour based credit system to ECTS in 2011 (Law 6111),
• Highest number of ECTS/DS Labels per country with compulsory DS issuing since 2005,
• Preparation of the ECTS Info Pack and its implementation by the HEIs,
• Determination of higher education qualifications and its implementation since 2010.

The Regulation of Quality Assurance in Higher Education and the Regulation on the Procedures and Principles Concerning the Implementation of Turkish Qualifications Framework (TQF) have been recently carried into effect. With the enactment of these two regulations, to set up a national QA and internalisation of the TQF-HE will be gathered speed.

Despite these important steps, we still have a long way to go in order to fulfil the EHEA reforms, particularly in terms of implementation and sustainability of QA system. Expected outcomes of this application are as follows:

• Self-certification of TQF-HE against the overarching QF for the EHEA,
• Linking ECTS credits with LOs in all HEIs,
• QA –internal and external- with student and international participation,
• Internalisation of all Bologna action lines and achieving self-sufficiency in HEIs,
• Recognition of prior learning (RPL) for equitable access to higher education as well as employability.

These project activities will target management as well as academic and administrative staff of HEIs, students, and stakeholders such as related Ministries, Vocational Qualifications Authority (VQA) and NGOs. Internalisation of European higher education reforms in Turkey and structural transformation such as current higher education act and also its harmonisation with EHEA will be hot topics. The goals of the Yerevan Communique will be pursued in the project.

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