April 24, 2025 / TRNC

CoHE President Erol Özvar is visiting the TRNC on April 23-25 in response to the invitation of TRNC Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu. Özvar and the accompanying delegation were received by TRNC President Ersin Tatar and TRNC Prime Minister Ünal Üstel.

Özvar told TRNC President Tatar that they care about the international visibility of TRNC universities as much as Turkish universities and that they will continue to provide all kinds of support to the TRNC. TRNC President Tatar said, "I would like to thank the families who send their children to the TRNC. Our universities have hundreds of thousands of graduates. Our graduates are in important positions in the world. There are students from 144 countries in the TRNC. This is a great success despite all the political problems of the TRNC." He noted that they wish to overcome the deficiencies in their universities with the support of the Council of Higher Education.

An Extended Universities Meeting was held in Lefkoşa with the participation of the Council of Higher Education, TRNC Ministry of National Education, Turkish Higher Education Quality Council, YÖDAK and the rectors of 22 universities in the TRNC.

In his speech at the meeting, Özvar extended his wishes for a speedy recovery to the citizens affected by the earthquake in Istanbul. Özvar stated that they visited the TRNC with the instructions given to them by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for cooperation in the field of higher education. He said that international visibility and reputation should be the main goal of TRNC universities. He stated that Türkiye has been sharing its experiences regarding the world-class higher education quality assurance system with the TRNC.

He emphasized that increasing the international prestige, recognition and visibility of universities, the most important instrument of science diplomacy, is one of the leading elements. Özvar reminded that at the meeting of the Ministers of Higher Education of the Organization of Turkic States held in Azerbaijan last year, it was unanimously decided for the first time that two universities from the TRNC would become members of Turkic Universities Union and said, “The international recognition of the universities operating in the TRNC has increased with their inclusion in the higher education field of the Turkic world.”

He emphasized that they have taken important steps in digitalization with the guidance of President Erdoğan and Vice President Yılmaz. “We will continue to share our data management infrastructure with YÖDAK,” Özvar said. He reminded that last year they launched a new application that will ensure that the process regarding the acceptance letters to be issued by universities will be carried out in a digital environment in order to finalize the transactions of international students who will study in Türkiye in a fast and secure manner. “With the implementation of the system in the TRNC as of May 3, 2024, forged acceptance letters have been largely eliminated.”

Özvar stated that a significant number of universities in the TRNC have entered the YKS guide in Türkiye and that they will continue to give quotas in the future.

Reminding that they conducted a University Experience Survey in Türkiye last year, Özvar said, "It may be possible to conduct the same digital survey here. In this way, we can put forward a management approach based on student satisfaction. University administrations that take student expectations and orientation into account hardly ever make mistakes."

TRNC Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu started his speech by conveying his best wishes to Turkey for the earthquake in Istanbul. Çavuşoğlu stated that they overcame the embargoes imposed on the TRNC thanks to higher education. Stating that cooperating with the Council of Higher Education and being at the standards of the Council of Higher Education is one of the most fundamental goals, he said, "You contribute to our expansion to the world by producing quick solutions to the problems of our universities. I would like to thank you for your continued support."