Council of Higher Education (YÖK) President Erol Özvar announced that university quotas are being planned in line with Türkiye’s development goals and labor market needs. Özvar said the country’s education capacity in cybersecurity has been increased roughly 16-fold, marking a 1,520 percent rise.
Noting that quota planning is not based solely on student preferences from previous years, Özvar said digital transformation, the needs of strategic sectors, and graduates’ employment prospects are also taken into account. He said capacity is being increased in programs geared toward the professions of the future, while a more balanced policy is being pursued in fields with a high number of graduates.
Quotas planned with a focus on employment
Özvar said that when determining quotas for university programs, institutions’ academic staff, physical facilities, and application and research infrastructure are evaluated together. He noted that graduates’ employment prospects and the qualified workforce sectors will need in the future also factor into the planning process.
He said the process drew on input from relevant ministries, universities, professional organizations, chambers of industry and commerce, and sector representatives. Özvar emphasized that quota decisions are made not based on temporary trends, but through a long-term, data-driven approach.
Cybersecurity capacity increased roughly 16-fold
One of the largest capacity increases in higher education came in cybersecurity programs. According to figures shared by Özvar, education capacity in this field was raised by 1,520 percent, bringing it to roughly 16 times its previous level.
The increase in cybersecurity programs was described as aimed at meeting the growing need for specialists in both public institutions and the private sector. The spread of digital systems, along with the need for data security and defense against cyberattacks, is driving demand for qualified human resources in this field.
Quotas raised in information technologies
Quotas for associate-degree information technology programs were increased by approximately 48 percent. Quotas for vocational schools operating within Organized Industrial Zones were raised by approximately 41 percent.
These programs are intended to give students hands-on training and enable them to enter the manufacturing sector more quickly after graduation. Strengthening cooperation between universities and industrial organizations is also among the core goals of the quota policy.
More students to be admitted to computer and information sciences
Quotas for undergraduate computer and information sciences programs have been increased by approximately 31 percent over the past three years. The growing need for specialists in software, artificial intelligence, data science, and digital technologies was cited as a key rationale behind the capacity increase in these programs.
Özvar said the goal is to prepare young people for the professions of the future and strengthen Türkiye’s human capital in technology. He noted that efforts to expand next-generation information technology programs at universities are also ongoing.
