Journal of Higher Education and Science

55-58

Authors: Yüksel KAVAK

Turkey has a younger population compared to European countries. Due to this structure of the population, our country is still under numerical pressure at all educational levels except from elementary education. On the other hand, a conversion in the structure of the population has been experienced since 2000, and in long term, the share of the population in higher education age in the total population is expected to decrease to 29% from 34%. According to the Human Development Report in 2010, mean year of schooling in the adult population is 6.5, fairly behind the levels of developed countries. The ratio of adult population with tertiary education in our country is 13%. Despite the significant growth in higher education observed between 2001 and 2010, the gap between supply and demand remains important. Accordingly, except for distance education, approximately 40% of the applicants to higher education programs may have an yeropportunity to be placed. Gross enrollment rate in higher education has increased to 32% from 17%. The share of foundation universities in total higher education has approached to 10%. One important trend in the last decade is the change in the age composition. The share of students at 23 years of age and above has increased to 19% from 11%. Parallel to these developments, equilibrium between female-male students has changed in favor of females. Higher education budget is approximately one quarter of government educational expenditures in Turkey. Although this budget may seem inadequate for higher education, the priority given to higher education compared with other educational levels is clearly observed. Public expenditure on higher education per student is 4648 USD. However, higher education expenditures are inadequate in the face of rapid growth and increasing needs. On the other hand, due to lack of data on private spending on higher education, a more detailed analysis of expenditures on higher education cannot be made. Examining the estimates regarding the future of higher education in our country, report from a project implemented jointly by TUSIAD and the UNFPA reveals significant presumptions. According to that report, a more rapid growth than OECD countries in higher education will continue between 2010 and 2025. According to the same data, as of 2020s the enrollment rate of females in higher education is expected to exceed males. All of these developments indicate a significant competition in the field of higher education in Turkey between public universities as well as between public and foundation universities in the coming years. This competition is expected to lead to significant changes in the management of higher education in Turkey.

66-68

Authors: Fatih HASDEMİR, Melih Rüştü ÇALIKOĞLU

The European Union Education and Youth Programmes aim to develop personal and institutional collaboration between the countires that participate in the Programmes and contribute to vocational and individual development of the beneficiaries. These programmes serve as a tool to reach the aims of the Lisbon Strategy and the EU 2020 Strategy. The programmes, which have been implemented under the rubric of Lifelong Learning and Youth have had positive impact on higher education institutions, their personnel, and students.

72-79

Authors: Yavuz SAKA,, Süleyman YAMAN

The purpose of this paper is to explore international university ranking systems. As a compilation study this paper provides specific criteria that each ranking system uses and main critiques regarding these ranking systems. Since there are many ranking systems in this area of research, this study focused on only most cited and referred ranking systems. As there is no consensus in terms of the criteria that these systems use, this paper has no intention of identifying the best ranking system based on a comparative analysis. Rather, this paper may inform relevant interest groups in higher education about the ranking systems and their decisive factors as universities attempt to place their names on the most known ranking systems. This study may provide brief but extensive information to Turkish Higher Education researchers and universities as they participate in Erasmus and Mevlana to open their doors to international higher education world. To become one of the top universities, this paper suggests that universities should know and understand the realities of international competitiveness in higher education and based on such understanding they can mold their physical, structural and academic futures toward achieving their visions and foundational missions.

89-97

Authors: Tunay KARAKÖK

Education, a basic human right, is an essential prerequisite for inviduals to benefit from and pursue other rights. In view of this fact, as Ali Adnan Menderes, Turkish Prime Minister between 1950 and 1960 who took an important place in the history of the Turkish politics and democracy as a leading figure, put it: “We will achieve everything that a civilized country has; lack of investment is an illness for which there is no cure”, following the days of difficulties and sheer desperation brought by the Second World War, many important reforms were introduced in the fields of education and instruction starting from the 1950s. Under these reforms, while the financial structure of Turkey was improved, special emphasis was put on education and efforts were made in order to make very possible improvements regarding preschool, elementary, secondary and higher education. This was followed by efforts to keep up with advancements occuring in these fields worldwide and pave the way for them to be implemented by specialists.