Global education summit kicks off in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Representatives of 150 universities from 67 countries attended the ninth Eurasia International Higher Education Summit (EURIE) in Istanbul on Feb. 27.

“The future of higher education will be shaped by our ability to embrace the dual nature of cooperation and competition," said Erol Özvar, the head of the Higher Education Council (YÖK), at the opening of the summit.

Stating that their goal is to create a more dynamic, innovative and effective educational environment, Özvar said, "This is our responsibility as leaders, educators and policymakers. I am confident that our interactions during this summit will contribute to the continuous advancement of higher education and encourage a global exchange of knowledge and ideas."

Özvar noted that education today is no longer limited to physical classrooms, students have the flexibility to access course materials and participate in discussions and collaborate on projects from anywhere in the world.

"In recent years, we have witnessed remarkable global advances in digital technologies and daily reports of the ubiquity of artificial intelligence have captured our attention. We are part of these transformation processes and are working relentlessly to align our higher education system with the ongoing digital revolution," he expressed.

"We will continue to carefully watch the impacts of artificial intelligence on higher education. We will continue to carry out the necessary work to meet the demand for qualified manpower in the field of artificial intelligence in Türkiye," he added.

Underlining that it is of great importance to develop collaborations with all relevant sectors, including the public and private, Özvar said that capacity in higher education should be enhanced and quality standards should be maintained.

Speaking after Özvar, Associate Professor Dr. Mustafa Aydın, the president of the Association of Eurasian Universities, said that Türkiye has succeeded in becoming an international center in the field of global higher education, especially in the last 10 years, and has managed to be among the top 10 countries with the highest number of international students in the world.

The summit at the Lütfi Kırdar International Congress Center in Istanbul will include a total of 62 panels by 156 participants.

The event, which aims to make Türkiye a center in the higher education sector and contribute to the internationalization of universities, welcomed over 2,000 visitors on the first day.