Journal of Higher Education and Science

105-112

Authors: Süleyman Hayri BOLAY

This article focuses on which issues should stand out in a contemporary university. For this purpose, the meaning of the word and concept university is pointed out; the function, aim and objective of the university are specified and the question of how this function will be realized is answered. In addition, issues including how universities influence community life, the main features of a contemporary university, the obstacles standing against the realization of contemporary university as well as how to overcome these obstacles and the characteristic the logic of university are addressed. How university’s interest in the culture of the society where it originates will to contribute to the development of science and technology of the country as well as the world is emphasized. In addition, the importance of scientific mentality, rationality, and collaborative working in university is emphasized and the importance of native language is indicated. It is recommended for students to increase their knowledge and level of thinking, to acquire the methods of research and thinking, and to adopt critical thinking. The issue that students should save themselves from being torn between information provided by certain fields of science and canalize to trans-science mental unity is particularly emphasized. Finally, the way for one or several universities in our country to gain the identity of a national university and thus being a symbol of our understanding of education and higher education is specified.

122-127

Authors: M. Kemal BİÇERLİ

Higher education system has vital importance to train qualified workforce that a country needs. Although holding young population turns out to be an advantage in a well structured education system, overgrowth of young population may cause threat. Higher education system in Turkey has significant problems in terms of efficient use of limited resources. Due to the failure in educational planning, number of graduates exceeds labor market demands in some fields, whereas over capacity problem occurs in some faculties. In this respect engineering and health sciences and also vocational higher education fields are particularly problematic. The other deficiency in Turkish higher education system is that; graduates lack basic acquirements and skill that labor market needs. There is no doubt that higher education is not existent only to train workforce for labor market. However, discrepancy in educational structure and realities of labor market means inefficient use of resources. In this respect, education system in Turkey need to be revised. An education system, more sensitive to labor market demands contributes to increase individual prosperity at micro level and it will also contribute to international competition and development of our country at macro level.

134-141

Authors: Filiz GÖLPEK

In most countries, the fact that higher education expenses are covered by public resources decrease the private costs due to the reasons such as equal opportunity, imperfect market, external factors, protection of minors, search for common values, the effects of education on economic growth and semi-public property of higher education. The fact that higher education expenditures are covered by public resources and the fact that investments on education provide important benefits for both public and individuals increase the demand of higher education. These benefits are among the most important factors that influence the investment decision of individuals. The decision of investment depends on the possible income in the future, the cost of investment, and the current interest rates. Higher education with investment purposes is influenced by these three mutual factors. The purpose of this paper is to calculate the rates of returns and prices for the faculties of medicine in Turkey. The data for both social and private benefits and costs was obtained using the cost-benefit analysis method. By means of the data obtained, both private and social return rates were calculated using the internal return rate technique. The price of higher education was obtained through the private return rate and current interest rate. In the conclusion section, it was pointed out that the private return rates at higher education level are significantly higher than the social return rates causing decreased price and increased individual demand.

152-155

Authors: Şule ERGÖL

Nursing emerged with the request of developing and maintaining public health and provide care when they are ill. In our country, firstly, Besim Omer Pasha invited daughters of prominent families in Istanbul to “Voluntary Nursing Course”. The first Nursing School was established under the auspices of Red Crescent Society in 1925. The Ministry of Health begun to establish Vocational Schools of Health in 1960. The beginning of nursing education in higher education was not a result of necessity, rather an influence of international organizations. The first nursing education in Higher Education began at the University of the Aegean in 1955. By 2011, “Nursing Undergraduate Programs” have taken place in a total of 96 units including School of Nursing (8), School of Health (63), School of Health Sciences (3), Nursing Department in Faculty of Health Sciences (21), and Faculty of Nursing (1). Undergraduate programs in nursing cover at least a four-year period and include 4600 hours of theoretical and practical education. Master’s degree and PhD programs in nursing began, respectively, in 1968 and in 1972 at the University of Hacettepe. Master’s degree programs have thesis and non-thesis programs. Master’s degree programs with thesis should be completed within four semesters. Time to complete non-thesis programs is six semesters at most. The majority of Master’s degree programs in nursing have thesis programs. PhD programs for students with Master’s degree consist of at least seven courses (not less than 21 credits), a qualifying examination, thesis proposal and thesis. Nursing education in Higher Education in our country has made considerable progress since 1955. Turkey is one of the five European countries providing basic nursing education at university level. This article discusses the historic development and current status of nursing education in Higher Education in Turkey.

161-169

Authors: Ferudun SEZGİN, Hasan KAVGACI, Ali Çağatay KILINÇ

This study aimed to examine the self evaluations of educational administration and supervision graduate students about their own qualifications in the context of National Qualifications Framework for Higher Education in Turkey (NQF-HETR) in a descriptive way. In this respect, this study was designed as a qualitative research. Participants consisted of 15 master and 6 doctoral students who had completed the courses at educational administration and supervision graduate program. To collect the data, a semi-structured interview form developed by researchers was used. The results demonstrated that graduate students had problems especially with associating theory and practice, using research methods and techniques, designing interdisciplinary studies and studies capable of providing solutions for country problems, sharing knowledge in national and international platforms, and using foreign language. In addition, it was determined that participants had great expectations from course advisor faculty members in terms of overcoming the deficiencies expressed in the study. In the light of the results, some suggestions have been made in order to make graduate programs more capable of providing necessary knowledge, skills and competence expressed in NQF-HETR.

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.

1-22

Authors: Durmuş GÜNAY, Aslı GÜNAY

In this study, quantitative developments in Turkish higher education during the Republic period from 1933, when the first university was established, to date are tried to be demonstrated. In parallel with this purpose, first, establishment dates of universities, number of universities by years as well as number of universities established during the periods of each presidents of Turkish Council of Higher Education are listed. Also, spread to all provinces as of 2008, the distribution of the number of universities with regard to provinces is given. On the other hand, development of Turkish higher education by years is examined by using several quantitative indicators about higher education. Thus, number of students in higher education, total number of academic staffs as well as those with PhD, improvement in the number of students per academic staff and higher education gross enrollment rates by years are shown. Furthermore, especially for big provinces in Turkey (Ankara, İstanbul and İzmir) number of universities, number of students in higher education and higher education gross enrollment rates are provided. Distribution of higher education students according to higher education institutions, higher education programs and education types in 2011 is presented as well as distribution of academic staffs according to higher education institutions and information about their academic positions. In addition, quantitative data about higher education bachelor and associate degrees (numbers of programs types, programs, quotas and placed students) in 2010 is given. Finally, the position of Turkish higher education in the world with respect to the number of academic publications and the change in the number of academic publications per staff by years are analyzed.

27-35

Authors: Yücel NAMAL, Tunay KARAKÖK

Darülfünun, which was the first and unique higher education institute during the Ottoman period and the first ten years of Turkish Republic, had a conservative character against a revolutionist society. In the opinion of some governers and scientists at that time, Darülfünun produced graduates without notion, critisism and interogation, and remained insensitive to country’s problems. Based on the report by invited Swiss Professor Albert Malche and by Atatürk’s order, the first higher education reform was made. The 2252 Code aimed at building up a modern university was introduced in 1933. In accordance with Malche’s report and Atatürk’s reform, European model of administration and education was accepted in Turkish universities.

39-42

Authors: Zuhal GERÇEK

Institutional social responsibility is the responsibility of an institution to promote economic, environmental, cultural and social development to improve the quality of life, together with local people and the whole society, for a sustainable world. It also ensures companies to perform fairly and responsibly and treat all stakeholders and the community accordingly. How should universities practice corporate social responsibility? New world requires universities to redefine their missions and while continuing to serve as a space for innovation, creativity and learning they should provide tools necessary for sustainable development, social analysis and critical thinking. Universities with the basic tasks of education and research, is a prototype of the society as involving individuals of each sex, and culture ranging from the age range from 18 to 70, varying levels of education from primary school to doctoral studies. In this regard, universities should be a part of shaping the dynamics of present and future of the social and physical environment. Universities first carry out Institutional Social Responsibility within their own culture first. Universities then should provide students as the most important stakeholders with genuine education, self-knowledge and the learning process by promoting the personal development of people in the community in finding a way to show locations and social development, as well as mobilizing communities, strengthening the process. Education should encourage and motivate free and active participation in life to inspire individuals by helping them to acquire physical and social skills with new approaches essential to address problems around them. Education should also ensure the development of personal, social and environmental consciousness. Within a society social responsibility may become natural characteristic when individuals equipped with this awareness.

47-53

Authors: Bekir S. GÜR

This article provides a critical review of İlhan Tekeli’s “The History of Higher Education and the Council of Higher Education in Turkey in Historical Context”.