The Netherlands-Turkey Higher Education

and Vocational Education Foundation

(NIHA)
An Insight into Higher Education in Turkey, 2012

Funda Demir Yalnta

Ankara, December 2012
Abbreviations and Acronyms

AKP Adalet ve Kalknma Partisi: Justice and Development Party

HEIs Higher Education Institutions

LYS Lisans Yerletirme Snav: Undergraduate Placement Exam

MEB Milli Eitim Bakanl: Ministry of National Education

MoNE Ministry of National Education

SS renci Seme Sinav: Student Selection Exam

SYM lme, Seme ve Yerletirme Merkezi: Evaluation, Selection and Placement Centre

TBA Trkiye Bilimler Akademisi: Turkish Academy of Sciences

TBTAK Trkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Aratrma Kurumu:

Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

SBS Seviye Belirleme Snav: Level Determination Exam

YGS Yksekretime Gei Snav: Higher Education Entrance Exam

YK Yksekretim Kurulu: Council of Higher Education

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Foreword
This document analyses the current system of higher education in Turkey. The main topics will be recent
developments in the Turkish education system, the capacity of Turkish universities and how this relates to
secondary education, and the university entrance exam system. Special attention is paid to co-operation in higher
education between Turkey and the Netherlands. Market information can be found in the Turkey Education Market
Information Factsheet, written in a joint effort by NIHA and Nuffic. This document makes use of some of the
elements of that factsheet.

Country Information
The Republic of Turkey was founded by Mustafa Kemal Atatrk after the War of Independence that took place
between 1919 and 1923. Between 1923 and 1946, Turkey transitioned from a one party state to a democratic and
secular state with a multiparty parliamentary system.

After the general election held in 2002, Adalet ve Kalknma Partisi - AKP (Justice and Development Party) was
elected with a majority. AKP have since been re-elected twice, with general elections in 2007 and 2011, to form
three consecutive majority governments.

Turkeys applied for membership to the European Economic Community on the 31st of July 1959. The Ankara
Agreement followed this application on the 12th of September 1963 and finally the European Council Final
Document on the 17th of December 2004. To the present day Turkey remains a candidate country to the European
Union (Organisation of the Education System in Turkey 2009/2010).

In 2001, Turkey officially became part of the Bologna Process. In the 2003-2004 academic year Turkey first
participated in several European educational mobility programmes including Socrates, Erasmus, Leonardo da
Vinci and Youth in Action. The Turkish National Agency manages Turkeys involvement in EU Education and Youth
Programmes. At the present time, most Turkish universities have adopted the European Credit Transfer System
(ECTS). In 2007 Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Commission and became an
associate country in the EU 7th Framework Programme (FP7) (Eretin, 2006).

Based on the results of 2011 Address Based Census, the population of Turkey is almost 74 million; 30% of which
are in the 0-14 age group. This makes the population in compulsory education (age 6-14) over 13 million (National
system overview on education systems in Europe, Turkey November 2011). With its active participation in multiple
EU schemes and its current rapid economic growth, Turkey is a dynamic country, where the education systems
of the present will largely determine the course of the states future.

General Outline Primary and Secondary Education System

The Ministry of National Education (MoNE) and The Council of Higher Education (Yksekretim Kurulu, YK)
are responsible for the Turkish national education system. MoNE is responsible for pre-school education, primary
education and secondary education while YK is responsible for higher education. Thus together these two public
bodies are in charge of all formal education in the country. In addition to their responsibilities for formal education,
MoNE also plays a key role in monitoring non-formal education. This form of apprenticeship-based education will
not be discussed in this article since it does not lead towards higher education.

Until the 2011-2012 academic year, pre-school education was offered on a non-compulsory basis to children from
birth until the age of 72 months. Primary education started at the age of six and continued until the age of fourteen,
compulsory for every Turkish citizen. A uniform system of education was therefore predominant from pre-school
education until the end of primary education.

In 2012 major reforms were enacted for primary and secondary education. The duration of compulsory education
has been prolonged from eight to twelve years, with a division into three different phases. The new system, called
the 4+4+4 system, requires pupils to start primary school at the age of 66 months old instead of 72 months.
While parents are able to enrol their children at 60 months, it becomes compulsory at 66 months. The first four
years of education consist of a general curriculum. Starting at the fifth grade, the second four-year phase is still
3
a general education but introduces a number of electives. Parents choose between vocational subjects or an
in-depth curriculum in academic subjects. The final four-year phase divides students between academic and
vocational education. This phase will be similar to the secondary schools in the old system.

The reforms have been contentious. Critics of the new system argue that primary schools are not currently
equipped to teach such young children, both in terms of their facilities and their curriculum. They also argue that
reducing the age at which pupils will be able to choose vocational education will only lead to an increase in less-
fortunate pupils opting for vocational education, thus deepening social inequities. However, the main concern
of many critics is political. Electives in the fifth grade make religious education accessible to 9 and 10 year olds.
These critics see the 4+4+4 system as a means by which the current AKP government is trying to impose their
own religious ideologies upon the primary education curriculum.

From secondary education onwards there are several types of general and vocational or technical education, all
which have a duration of four years;

General Secondary Education:

General High Schools
Foreign High Schools
Anatolian High Schools
Science High Schools
Social Science High Schools
Fine Art and Sports High Schools
Anatolian Teacher High Schools
Military High Schools
Police Colleges

Vocational Secondary Education:

(Anatolian) Technical and Industrial Vocational Schools
(Anatolian) Technical and Industrial Vocational Schools for Girls
(Anatolian) Technical and Industrial Vocational Schools for Boys
(Anatolian) Business High Schools
(Anatolian) Tourism and Hotel Vocational High Schools
(Anatolian) Religious Vocational High Schools

In both the general and vocational education systems there are high schools with the prefix Anatolian. These are
selective high schools where more time is allocated for foreign language courses, and instruction of some natural
science courses are in a foreign language. Otherwise, these institutions are completely identical with other high
schools.

There exist several different types of high schools within the general secondary education system. General high
schools offer a curriculum that prepares pupils for higher education. Anatolian high schools add effective foreign
language instruction to the curriculum of general high schools. Foreign high schools are semi-private minority
schools, established during the Ottoman Empire by French, German, Italian, Austrian and American citizens and
Greek, Armenian and Hebrew minorities of the Empire. These schools offer education in their own language, with

4
the Turkish language being a compulsory course. Science, social science, and fine art and sports high schools
provide advanced education in their respective fields. Anatolian teacher high schools prepare pupils for teacher
education programs at institutions of higher education.

The vocational secondary education system consists of four groups of vocational and technical high schools.
These high schools offer curriculums designed to train mid-level personnel, preparing pupils for employment in
various specialized occupations. However, graduates from vocational or technical high schools are still able to
attend institutions of higher education. Vocational and technical high schools also offer non-formal programmes
that provide the opportunity for pupils with an irregular educational career to obtain a high school diploma.

Secondary Education Admission System

Pupils directly apply to secondary education. In principle every individual with a primary school diploma can attend
any type of secondary high school. Pupils that aim to attend privileged schools such as the Anatolian, Science,
Social Sciences, and Foreign High Schools have to take the Seviye Belirleme Snav (SBS), Level Determination
Exam. The SBS exam is a nationally standardised multiple-choice examination. According to their end of year SBS
exam results for the 6th, 7th and 8th grades, as well as school-specific year end competence scores, and class
score components, which are not nationally standardized but school specific, pupils are ranked and subsequently
placed in secondary schools in accordance with their stated preferences (Organisation of the Education System
in Turkey 2009/2010).The MoNE sets the SBS exam, and monitors the subsequent application and placement of
pupils. Fine Arts and Sports High Schools deviate slightly from the above procedure, as they admit pupils based
on special talent examinations.

Number of pupils per Enrolment

Entrance age Duration Enrolment
educational level 2009-2010 rate

2-4 age 30%
Pre-primary education 4-5 years 1-2 years 980.654
4-6 age 43%

Primary education 6 years 8 years 10.916.643 98%

General Secondary
14 years 4-5 years 4.240.139 48%
education

Vocational Secondary
14 years 4-5 years 1.819.448 21%
education

Total Secondary education 6.059.587 69%

Total enrolment 24.016.471

Figure 1: Pupils per educational level in 2009-2010 (MEB, rgn Eitim statistikleri, 2010).

Public spending on education makes up 3.8% of Turkish GDP (2011).

In line with the 4+4+4 reform the admissions process, as well as all forms of general and vocational secondary
education will also be changed. Reforms of the secondary education system are due to be announced during the
2012-2013 academic year.

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Higher Education
The last major reforms of higher education in Turkey were in 1981. That year responsibility for higher education
was removed from the MoNE and given to the newly established Council of Higher Education (YK). The reforms
also permitted for the first time the establishment of non-profit higher education institutions (HEIs) funded by
foundations. Privately funded HEIs are therefore called foundation universities.

Since 1981, YK has been the only public body that governs HEIs. It supervises and regulates the universities,
the research institutions attached to them, and the teaching staff. YKs responsibility for overseeing higher
education includes all post-secondary programmes with a duration of at least two years. There are currently 103
state and 62 private universities and other institutions of higher education such as police and military academies
and colleges. Turkey has a unified higher education system. This means that universities offer both academic
and vocational/professional qualifications. Each university will have a number of academic faculties, as well as
associated vocational schools offering four year bachelors level programmes, and two year associate degree
programmes of a strictly vocational nature. Graduate level programs are classified as either masters or doctoral
programs and are often coordinated by a universitys institute for graduate studies.

The Development of Turkish Higher Education

During the Ottoman Empire, highly sophisticated academic study was conducted at the Darlfnun (House of
Sciences). From the 18th century onwards, various western-style institutions of higher education were established.
These were mainly Naval, Medical and Engineering Colleges. In 1933 the Darlfnun was renamed Istanbul
University, and substantially reformed. This is how the first university of the Republic Turkey was established
(Eretin, 2006). By 1982 19 universities had already been established. That year 8 new universities opened their
doors, bringing the total number up to 27. In 1984 the first foundation university hsan Doramac Bilkent University
was opened. 1992 saw an explosion in the number of Turkish universities. In that year a new law on higher
education was adopted. This law was made by the government of that time to open 25 new universities, all outside
the three big cities Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. In 1992 23 state universities as well as a foundation university were
all opened, bringing the total number of universities to 53.

Figure 2: The numbers of universities in Turkey by year 1933-2011 (Gnay and Gnay, 2011) (devlet (blue) =state,
vakf (orange) =foundation).

As can be seen in Figure 2, in the years between 1992 and 2003 only a few new state universities were founded.
Between 2006 until the end of 2011, 88 new universities were established, a 115% increase in the number of
Turkish Universities. Clearly, these years form a critical period for higher education in Turkey. In 2011 there were
103 state universities, 62 foundation universities, 7 foundation higher vocational schools and 10 other institutes of
higher education, bringing the total of HEIs to 182 (Gnay and Gnay, 2011).
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The establishment of so many new universities is an absolute necessity for Turkey. The population of Turkey has
been growing at around 1.25% for the last few years. Over the last decade the total population has risen from 66
million to 79 million (http://www.indexmundi.com). Fully 16% of the total population are between the ages of 15-
24, while 40% are younger than 24.

Figure 3: The numbers of students in Turkish Higher Education (Gnay and Gnay, 2011) (toplam(blue)=total,
akretim(red)=distance education, yz yze eitim(green)=face to face education).

Figure 3 shows the strong growth in the number of post-secondary students between 1984 and 2011, commensurate
with the increase in universities.

The distribution of students across state and foundation universities and between the different levels of higher
education are provided in figures 4 and 5. These figures include students in distance education programmes.

Type of higher
education Associate Medical
institution degree Bachelor Master PhD Specialism Total

State university 560.733 1.150.347 106.514 40.349 11.968 1.869.911

Distance
483.437 1.230.486 1.713.923
education

Total state
1.044.170 2.380.833 106.514 40.349 11.968 3.583.834
university

Foundation
30.481 140.262 19.176 2.589 736 193.244
university

Foundation
higher vocational 3.838 0 0 0 0 3.838
school

Other HEIs 19.821 7.237 678 467 7.967 36.170

Total 1.098.310 2.528.332 126.368 43.405 20.671 3.817.086

Figure 4: The number of students in Turkish Higher Education in 2010-2011, divided in type of institution (Gnay
and Gnay, 2011).

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 Level of
Student number Percentage
education
Associate degree 1.098.310 29,24%
Bachelor 2.528.332 61,71%
Master 126.368 6,01%
PhD 43.405 2,06%
Medical
20.671 0,98%
Specialism
Total 3.817.086 100,00%

Figure 5: The number of students in Turkish Higher Education in 2010-2011, divided in level of education (Gnay
and Gnay, 2011).

Despite the exponential growth of Turkish higher education capacity between 2006 and 2011, the participation
rate is still quite low when compared with EU countries. Only 30,82% of young adults enter tertiary face-to-face-
education, though this ratio reaches 58,44% if you include students in distance education programmes. It is a
policy goal of YK to make the system more accessible and increase the higher education participation rates to
those found in fully developed countries. This subject will be discussed in more detail in the development chapter.
First attention is drawn to the system of selection and placement.

Selection and Placement System for Higher Education: The YGS and LYS exams
Prior to the current system for selection and placement, a single exam called SS (renci Seme Snav:
Student Selection Exam) determined acceptance to the different institutions of higher education. In 2010, this
exam was replaced by the current two-staged system. The first stage consists of a single exam, namely the YGS
(Yksekretime Gei Snav: Higher Education Entrance Exam). The second stage consists of five different
exams called LYS 1-5 (Lisans Yerletirme Snav: Undergraduate Placement Exam). Students must pass the first
exam (YGS) in order to take the second exam (LYS). University placement is then based on the achieved score
on the latter tests combined with the average of students high school grades. The YGS and LYS exams are
conducted by the SYM (lme, Seme ve Yerletirme Merkezi: Evaluation, Selection and Placement Centre).
The candidates take the YGS exam in April, and then the various LYS exams are conducted in June. LYS results
are announced by the end of July. Based on their exam scores, the candidates fill out a preference form and send
it to SYM in the first week of August. By the end of August, they are notified of the results of their placement.

Each bachelors programme at each university has a specific minimum entrance score. These minimum scores are
not determined by the universities but by SYM. After SYM receives the preferences (max. 30) from the pupils,
the minimum entrance scores of each bachelors programme are calculated. The student with the lowest score
entering a specific bachelors programme sets the minimum entrance score for next year.

The government has announced that, in line with the reforms in primary and secondary education, the system of
student selection and placement will be changed by 2014. The goal is to introduce a system that does not rank
and select students but instead tests competence. Additional information on these reforms will be posted as
details are revealed.

In 2011, 1.7 million prospective students went through the student selection and placement system. This demand
far outstrips the available supply, as only around 470,000 entry places for bachelors degrees are available at
state universities. Many of the unsuccessful students repeatedly take the exams, imposing a large burden on
the system. With the limited capacity of the Turkish institutions for higher education and serious concerns about
the quality of some institutions for higher education, more and more middle-class students are turning to private
higher education and to education abroad.

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 State Foundation Turkish Cypriot Other Foreign
Programme General Total
Universities Universities Universities Universities
Ass. Degree 334.263 30.144 1674 100 366.181
Bachelors 469.686 60.975 14.811 1.722 547.194
Special Talent 17.877 4.187 2.141 96 24.301
General Total 821.826 95.306 18.626 1.918 937.676

Figure 6: The quotas for 2012-2013 (niversite kontenjanlar belli oldu, Sabah Daily news, 09-07-2012).

For many students, the YGS and LYS exams form a significant mental obstacle to further study. Therefore the
vast majority of high school pupils spend the last two or three years of high school preparing to write these exams
under enormous pressure. Institutions called Dershane (course house) train young people for the entrance tests
during evenings and weekends. The curriculum offered by the Dershanes are not very different from what is
taught in school. The pupils continuously take practice exams and learn methods to quickly answer the exam
questions. Success on these selection and placement exams is highly dependent on recognizing and responding
to the tricky wording of the questions on the exams.

The YGS and LYS exams are conducted in order to rank the pupils applying for each specific bachelors programme
at a specific university, and then select the brightest pupils for that programme.

The YGS & LYS Scores and Placement

In order to give the reader an intuitive grasp of the selection and placement system, an example will be illuminating.
The example below is a fictitious oversimplification of the placement system, intended to illustrate its workings.

An example:
Four universities offer a BSc. in Electrical Engineering programme:

University A (state); capacity: 45 number of applications: 350

University B (foundation); capacity: 50 number of applications: 250

University C (foundation); capacity: 40 number of applications: 100

University D (state); capacity: 45 number of applications: 100

In total, these universities have the capacity to offer 180 first year students a place. 800 candidates would like to
study at these universities. If the brightest students prefer University A, the minimum entrance score there will be
the highest among all four universities that offer a BSc. in Electrical Engineering.

The minimum entrance scores for the study year 2014-2015:

University A (state); 540

University B (foundation): 500

University C (foundation): 380

University D (state): 290

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Foundation universities often offer scholarships, which greatly increases their popularity among bright students
and so raises their minimum entrance score to a bachelors programme. If University C offers full scholarships,
more students with good LYS scores will prefer it and hence the Universitys minimum entrance score will rise.
Students with the ability to pay for their education will be able to enrol in the same programme, but with lower
scores. Therefore minimum entrance scores are not a good measure of the quality of a university or the bachelors
programmes it offers.

Example minimum entrance scores for the study year 2015-2016:

University A (state); 540

University B (foundation): 500

University C (foundation): 530 (100% Scholarship)

University C (foundation): 480 (50% Scholarship)

University C (foundation): 380 (no Scholarship)

University D (state): 290

Talented students interest in different bachelors programmes at the same university varies, thus the minimum
scores for these programmes vary as well. In the example the minimum score for Electrical Engineering at University
A is 540 while the minimum entrance score will be 40 points higher for Medicine at the same university and
150 points lower for Philosophy. These fields typically have respectively much higher and much lower entrance
requirements.

Below is an illustration of how this relates to the placement of candidates. Achieving the minimum entrance score
of your preferred bachelors programme does not mean that a student will automatically earn a place there. SYM
places students with the highest scores in their preferred bachelors programmes. Assume 350 students have a
first preference to do medicine at University A. The University has space for 50 first year students to enrol. SYM
will therefore rank all 350 students and place the best 50 in the programme. If the candidate in the 50th place has a
LYS score of 590, students with an LYS score of 589 and lower will be rejected for a programme with a minimum
entrance score of 580. That is why the idea of some Dutch universities seem to believe that only the second
best Turkish students opt for higher education abroad, is simply not true. Despite excellent exam scores, it is still
possible that a student will not be admitted to their preferred bachelors programme at their preferred university.

Using the LYS & YGS Exams to Admit Students to Dutch Higher Education Programmes
Dutch universities are looking for additional admissions requirements for screening Turkish students applications
for bachelors programmes, in addition to their high school diplomas. The LYS & YGS exams would seem to
provide a useful screening mechanism, however there are a few objections to this approach.

For entry into a certain program in the Netherlands, some Dutch institutions require that a Turkish student should
be admitted to a similar programme within Turkey. This is a frustrating demand because Turkish students often
turn to higher education programmes abroad when they are denied a place within Turkey. It is a structural lack of
capacity in the Turkish higher education system that drives demand for foreign studies. The competitive application
procedure for highly demanded programmes, means that a student who does not succeed in gaining admission
within Turkey may still be bright enough for university studies abroad.

The requirement to be placed in a similar programme at a Turkish institution is excessively vague. Currently
there are 182 HEIs in Turkey, some very well-established, others that have only recently opened their doors to
students. Although some universities outside Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir are excellent or have some excellent
departments, the vast majority of prestigious universities are located in these three big cities. Even in Istanbul,

10
Ankara and Izmir there is great disparity in the quality of education and research at different universities. Most of
the foundation universities have big budgets and luxurious campuses, though this does not necessarily mean that
they offer high-quality education. Some of the foundation universities thrive on the reputation of a few well-known
retired professors and offer expensive education to students with wealthy families. It is vital to recognize that the
quality of both state and foundation universities varies a lot. The differences in quality mean that the minimum
entrance scores for the same bachelors programme may differ substantially between the various universities. This
requirement is thus a poor criteria for admission to Dutch universities.

A hard-working student will generally not consider studying abroad once they are placed. The great source of
demand for studying abroad comes from the significant percentage of students who are not offered a place in
their preferred bachelors programme. The system often forces bright students to enrol in their second or third
choice programmes. A student with a desire to study Medicine could end up studying Chemistry or Biology
because their LYS results are not high enough to enrol in a Medicine programme at a highly reputable university.
The reputation of a university is the first criteria students look for when choosing a programme. Because of the
great divide in the quality of Turkish Universities, instead of studying Medicine at a second-rate university, a bright
student might prefer to study a related subject at a highly reputable university. Given the chance, many students
in this situation would prefer to study abroad.

Many students and parents choose to stay outside the YGS - LYS system. Parents send their children to high
schools where high quality education is offered with a solid curriculum, such as the Foreign High Schools. These
pupils do not attend Dershanes and instead are encouraged to strive for personal development rather than learn
for the YGS and LYS exams. This groups only alternative is to study abroad. However, by requiring YGS - LYS
results, Dutch universities risk losing these potential full tuition fee paying students.

A detailed understanding of the student selection and placement system in Turkey is required in order to
appropriately evaluate YGS and LYS scores. It may be far more fruitful to consider the type of high school an
applicant has graduated from. If additional requirements are necessary for foreign universities, besides a high
school diploma, options such as the SAT or Advance Placement examinations offer a better alternative. These
tests at least provide a clear score that gives information about the applicants talents.

Developments in Higher Education

The Turkish government is increasing the funding for higher education in order to expand universities capacity.
As mentioned above, many new universities have been established in the last decade, and it is expected that
even more universities will be established in the near future. In the last decade public expenditure on education
has increased at a phenomenal rate. The 2011 budget for the Ministry of National Education, at 15 billion
was over three and a half times larger than the 2002 budget. The budget for higher education has risen from
37,7 million in 2002 to 238 million in 2011, an increase of 531%. The total budget for education, the MoNE and
higher education, is now 3,8 % of GDP. (Implementation of the Strategic Framework for European Cooperation
in Education and Training, 2011).

Investment has been made to implement certain aspects of the Bologna process in Turkish higher education.
Within this context, the newly appointed president of YK has announced that more will be invested in the
internationalisation of Turkish higher education. The development of joint education programmes between Turkish
and foreign HEIs at all levels of higher education (associate, undergraduate and graduate) will be encouraged.
However cooperation between Turkish and foreign higher education institution still needs to be approved by the
YK and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The newly established universities are in dire need of more researchers and teaching staff in order to continue to
improve the quality of the Turkish higher education system. To meet this demand, the Turkish government and
Turkish universities are open to international cooperation. To support internationalisation, YK, the Scientific and
Technological Research Council of Turkey (TBTAK), the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TBA) and MoNE are
offering various scholarships and funding for graduate education and research. These funds are available in many
fields and on post-graduate levels.

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Student Mobility Statistics
The Turkish government is currently encouraging international mobility of graduate students and researchers
through several grant and scholarship schemes. International mobility of undergraduate students mainly consists
of bilateral exchange programmes such as Erasmus. Furthermore, there is a growing number of students seeking
degrees internationally. According to UNESCO data, Turkey had the 9th largest number of students going abroad
in 2009, despite the fact that the Turkish population is only the 18th largest in the world. Approximately 2% of
Turkish students in higher education study abroad. Mobility data from UNESCO shows that there has been an
average increase of 11% in Turkish students studying abroad between 2006 and 2009. If this trend is to continue,
there will be close to 78,500 Turkish students studying abroad by 2015. The validity of this prediction depends on
the economic stability in Turkey, the extent to which it will be affected by the economic crisis and how quickly the
supply of domestic higher education increases.

The number of Turkish students in the Netherlands has grown exponentially in the last five years. The number of
Turkish students studying for a diploma has increased by 109% and the number of residence permits supplied
has increased by 62%. Between 2005 and 2009 there was also a 42% increase in Turkish Erasmus students
(Mobiliteit in Beeld, 2011).

In the Netherlands, most Turkish students study for a bachelors programme at universities of applied sciences
(62%). Far fewer (11%) do so at research universities, though 26% study for a masters degree at research
universities. From a Dutch perspective the Turkish student market is thus both a bachelors and masters market.

Funding Offered by the Turkish Government for the International Mobility of Graduate
Students and Researchers

Counsel of Higher Education scholarships (YK)

Scholarships for research masters followed by a PhD and full PhDs. Candidates have to be young academic staff
at institutions of higher education. After graduation these candidates will return to their universities and continue
their academic careers. Candidates have to work in Turkey for two years for each year that they received a
scholarship.

Ministry of National Education scholarships (MoNE)

Scholarships for masters in specific fields of studies. Candidates must be working in specific fields, among
others; education, natural resources, law and some engineering fields. Again, candidates must work in Turkey for
two years for each year that they received a scholarship

Turkish Education Foundation scholarships (TEV)

Scholarships for masters and PhDs in specific fields of studies. These scholarships are offered for graduate
studies in countries with which TEV has a bilateral agreement such as the USA, the UK, Germany, Italy, France
and Denmark. Each country determines which fields candidates can pursue a masters degree in.

Jean Monnet scholarships

Scholarships for masters or research related to European Union Law (i.e. EU Acquis). Candidates are selected
among civil servants, employees of non-profit organisations and both the academic and non-academic staff of
higher education institutes. Students in their final year of studies with career goals in above mentioned areas might
also be eligible.

Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TBTAK)

Grants and funding for post-graduate and post-doctorate research. Candidates from all fields can apply for funding
to finance their studies and research abroad. There are various scholarships available with various eligibility criteria.

12
Turkish Academy of Sciences (TBA)
Grants and funding for post-graduate research. Universities, institutes, public and private sector institutions
may nominate candidates in all fields for scholarships. Candidates must be working on original research with
sustainable outcomes.

Cooperation Opportunities Between the Netherlands and Turkey

The bachelor-master structure in Turkey offers opportunities to initiate joint and dual programmes and exchange
agreements, as the increasing number of Turkish Erasmus students studying in the Netherlands demonstrates.
This indicates that Turkish students are more interested in studying abroad and also that Turkish universities are
increasingly active in the internationalisation of their curricula.

The link between regional industry and Turkish institutions of higher education is relatively weak. There exists
a significant mismatch between acquired skills and skills in demand, which is a particular area where Dutch
universities of applied sciences could assist their Turkish counterparts.

Based on an extensive survey carried out in 2012 by NIHA it is possible to chart the various types of cooperation
between Dutch and Turkish HEIs. Mostly cooperation agreements are the result of Turkey joining the Erasmus
mobility scheme in 2004-2005. In 2011-2012 there were 464 different types of agreements, between Turkish and
Dutch institutions of higher education, 384 of which were Erasmus agreements. In addition, there are various other
forms of cooperation such as double degree masters programmes, project based cooperation, 2 + 2 bachelor
programmes, joint research and PhD projects.

Institutions in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir are in a domination position when it comes to cooperation with the
Netherlands.

Figure 7: Geographical distribution of bilateral agreements (Cooperation in Higher Education Survey, 2012).

The distribution in fields of study shows that most bilateral agreements are drawn up in the fields of Economics/
Business/Management, Engineering and Communication/Media. Below is the complete list.

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 Subject Number Subject Number
1 Economics/Business/Management 87 17 Industrial Design 6
2 Engineering 38 18 Pharmacy 5
3 Communication/Media 35 19 History 5
4 Social Studies 34 20 Biotechnology 5
5 Law 27 21 Humanities 4
6 Education 26 22 Facility Management 4
7 Geosciences/Agriculture 20 23 Physics 3
8 Medical Studies 19 24 Linguistics 3
9 Chemistry 19 25 Biology 3
10 Computer Sciences 19 26 Religious Studies 3
11 Tourism 15 27 Natural Sciences 2
12 Fine Arts & Design 11 28 Philosophy 2
13 Psychology/Pedagogy 10 29 Art & Economics/Technology 2
14 EU Studies 9 30 University Colleges 2
15 Mathematics 8 31 Languages 1
16 Technology (other) 8 32 Music 1
Figure 8: Distribution of bilateral agreements according to study fields (Cooperation in Higher Education Survey,
2012).

The most active Dutch HEIs in Turkey are InHolland University of Applied Sciences, Fontys University of Applied
Sciences, Twente University and Eindhoven Technical University.

Figure 9: Agreements per Dutch HEI. (Cooperation in Higher Education Survey, 2012).

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The most common reasons for Dutch HEIs to sign Erasmus Agreements with Turkish universities are the quality
of education and students, cultural interest and demand from Dutch students. Interest and initiatives from Turkish
counterparts follow. The criteria to choose Turkish partners are generally the quality of university and students,
benefits for the Dutch university and compatibility with the Dutch programmes.

The main reasons for Turkish universities to cooperate with their Dutch counterparts are the initiative of staff
members, visits of Dutch HEIs and contacts made at fairs, workshops and seminars. Turkish universities are
interested in cooperation with Dutch HEIs because of the quality of education and research, the educational
environment, cultural diversity and the Netherlands central location within Europe. In the selection of their partners,
Turkish universities look for compatibility with their own programmes, the availability of English courses and the
reputation and quality of their Dutch partners.

From 2006 onwards the number of agreements with highly reputable universities in Turkey has continuously
increased. Though some new agreements have been established with less known Turkish universities.

Figure 10: Increase in agreements since 2006 per Turkish HEI (Cooperation in Higher Education Survey, 2012).

How to Arrange Institutional Cooperation

The Netherlands-Turkey Higher Education and Vocational Education Foundation (NIHA) can arrange the first
contact with Turkish institutions. NIHA has a thorough knowledge of the Turkish higher education system and
maintains good contacts with both the Turkish Ministry of Higher Education and the Scientific and Technological
Research Council of Turkey. NIHA regularly hosts matchmaking events in which potential cooperation partners
are introduced to each other. NIHA also organises conferences and working visits for professors, highly placed
government officials, and other representatives of the Netherlands to Turkey.

Dutch institutions that already have ties with Turkish institutions are advised to use these ties to get in contact
with more departments within that institution. It is also recommended to keep track of PhD alumni, as upon their
return to Turkey, these alumni will be staff members at Turkish HEIs and thus they may be able to help establish
new contacts.

Cooperation agreements are normally created because there is a particular need between HEIs or specific
faculties. Therefore it is advisable to invest in personal relationships with Turkish colleagues. They will be able to
provide inside information about the needs and direction of the internationalisation of their institution.

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A common pitfall in initiating actual agreements on institutional cooperation is that the process takes excessively
long on the Dutch side, from the perspective of the Turkish institution. As a result, agreements remain unsigned
and are not implemented. To overcome this, it is important to have executive decision-making power when
pursuing cooperation negotiations with Turkish institutions. Turkish institutions tend to be quick at initiating an
agreement but often need time to overcome bureaucratic issues within their own institution and with both YK
and other government bodies.

Due to organisational differences, communication between Dutch and Turkish HEIs can be difficult at times.
Turkish HEIs often have a central administrative unit responsible for internationalisation. In the Netherlands most
HEIs have a decentralised system and different parts of internationalisation are being handled by different units
i.e. international students affairs, marketing and communication, international affairs. This can lead to a standstill in
the development of new cooperation opportunities. Intermediation by NIHA clarifies the communication problem
and contributes to resolving these types of issues.

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Gnay, Durmu and Asl Gnay. 2011. 1933den Gnmze Trk Yksekretiminde Niceliksel
Gelimeler Journal of Higher Education and Science 1 (1): 1-22.

Implementation of the Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training. 2011
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MEB, rgn Eitim statistikleri, 2010.

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Organisation of the Education System in Turkey 2009/2010, Eurydice. Retrieved from: http://eacea.
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Turkeys Higher Education Sector: At the Brink of Reforms and Negotiations with the EU, December 2005.
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Trkiyenin Yksekretim Stratejisi. February 2007, T.C. Yksekretim Kurulu (YK). Retrieved from:
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niversite Kontenjanlar Belli Oldu [Quotas for universities announced] Sabah [A Turkish Daily] 9 July
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