MAUN Rector Prof. Polat Attended the ÜNİDAP Meeting in Bingöl

The sixth term meeting of the Eastern Anatolia Project Universities Union (ÜNİDAP) was hosted at Bingöl University with the participation of rectors from 16 universities in the region.

Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, Chairman of the Turkish Council of Higher Education (YÖK) chaired the meeting in which Prof. Dr. Naci Gündoğan, a member of the Executive Board of YÖK, was also present. In his opening speech, Prof. Özvar reminded that he met with UNIDAP universities in Erzurum 10 months ago and expressed his thoughts on regional development and the role of universities. He underlined that all universities trying to resemble each other and having the same mission is something that hinders development and progress. Prof. Özvar pointed out that he had previously stated that some universities contribute to the country with education, some with research and technology production, and some with their focus on regional development.

He said, "We expect from our universities in the region a management style that is aware of its institutional potential, makes realistic use of existing opportunities, and at the same time sets out a visionary goal."

Stating that he visited many cities in the East of Turkey and followed the developments in local university campuses with great pleasure, Prof. Özvar said, “Once again in your presence, I would like to thank our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who made higher education widespread throughout the country and thus helped to solve the problem of access to higher education. Our universities all over Turkey have different levels of institutionalization. Moreover, almost all of them have made significant progress in this regard. I am pleased to observe that our higher education institutions, especially those founded between the years 2006-2008, has overcome the establishment process and they are now in the process of institutionalization."