September 22, 2025

Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education, welcomed Dr. Marcin Kulasek, Poland's Minister of Science and Higher Education, to the Council of Higher Education. The meeting focused on developing cooperation between the two countries in the field of higher education and increasing student mobility.

Özvar stated that Poland is one of Türkiye's most important partners in the field of higher education.  Özvar announced that a memorandum of understanding on higher education will be signed between the two countries in the near future, emphasizing that this will take relations in the fields of science, technology, and higher education to a higher level.

Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education Kulasek stated that they were extremely pleased to be in Türkiye and to further advance cooperation in higher education.

Türkiye-Poland Rectors’ Forum

Following the meeting, CoHE President Özvar and Minister Kulasek attended the opening of the 1st Türkiye-Poland Rectors’ Forum hosted by Gazi University.

In his speech at the forum, Özvar stated that they had gathered while international conflicts and wars were ongoing in the region and genocide was continuing in Gaza, saying, “Innocent civilians are losing their lives every day. This genocide must end.”

He stated that Türkiye continued its cooperation with countries determined to defend international law and was making efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza. "The Council of Higher Education is determined to raise awareness on campuses regarding the crimes of genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people. Israel's massacres and inhumane treatment will be on the agenda at academic opening ceremonies and lectures to be held at Turkish universities this year. Türkiye calls on the international higher education community to defend academic freedom and human rights openly and strongly."

Emphasizing that Türkiye and Poland, as NATO partners, are contributing to efforts to establish peace and end the violence, Özvar underscored that increasing cooperation in higher education is also a common responsibility.

Özvar explained that higher education is not only a source of knowledge and innovation, but also critically important for promoting global solidarity and inclusive solutions. He noted that universities can serve as bridges across borders by producing sustainable policies and technologies that society urgently needs.

He stated that Türkiye has made significant investments over the past two decades, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, to increase the capacity, efficiency, and resilience of the higher education system, emphasizing that the tangible results of these investments are clearly seen in the progress made by Turkish universities at the international level.

Pointing out that Poland has been the most preferred country for Turkish students in international higher education mobility in recent years, Özvar noted that, in return, more Polish students are being encouraged to enroll in Turkish universities.

He said that beyond Erasmus+ and academic mobility, Türkiye and Poland have also deepened their cooperation in science, research, and technology. Özvar stated that the Council encourages universities to create concrete projects with their international counterparts and to collaborate on these projects, adding that this strategy will shape their interactions with the international academic community in the future.

In his speech, Özvar also mentioned that Turkish students participating in academic programs in the Schengen Area face strict visa requirements, saying, “I remain confident that the visa issue will be resolved in the near future. I would also like to thank Polish academics who enthusiastically support Türkiye's efforts to join the European Union.”

He concluded his remarks by stating that he believes the first meeting of the Türkiye-Poland Rectors’ Forum will deepen cooperation through concrete and creative research projects and support academic development efforts.

In his speech, Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education Marcin Kulasek pointed out that an increasing number of students and academics from Türkiye are participating in mutual exchange programs with Poland, stating that an increase in joint research and development projects will strengthen cooperation. He expressed his belief that the forum will contribute to building bridges of understanding and friendship between the two countries.

Prof. Uğur Ünal, Rector of Gazi University emphasized that Türkiye-Poland relations have continued closely and uninterruptedly not only since the Ottoman period but also from the early days of the Republic to the present. Ünal stated that this historical friendship is also evident today in the fields of science and education, adding that the forum is a concrete step that strengthens not only cooperation between universities but also close relations between societies.

The forum, which will form an important basis for the development of bilateral relations between Türkiye and Poland in higher education and research, brings together rectors and representatives from various universities in both countries.