Five Universities which were chosen as pilot universities in accordance with the values of their regions within the scope of Mission Differentiation and Specialization based on the Regional Development Project started by the Council of Higher Education (YOK) in 2015 came together in a workshop hosted by Kırşehir Ahi Evran University. Kırşehir Governor İbrahim Akın, Kırşehir Mayor Yaşar Bahçeci, Rector of Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya, Rector of Bingöl University Prof Dr. İbrahim Çapak, Rector of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University Prof. Dr. Adem Korkmaz, Rector of Uşak University Prof. Dr. Ekrem Savaş, vice-rectors of the universities, project coordinators and their teams, heads of departments, academic and administrative staff and members of the press attended Pilot Universities Directive Preparation Workshop organized by our university on the date of 21 January 2019.

Rector Karakaya: “The Pilot University Project is Turkey Project”

The opening speech was given by Rector of our University Prof. Dr. Karakaya in Pilot Universities Directive Preparation Workshop and the rector gave information about the actualization process of the pilot university project. Rector Karakaya put an emphasis on the issue that the pilot university project is the change project of Turkey's higher education and he expressed that the universities in Turkey will not be homogeneous with this project and will steer education of Turkey a new direction. Rector Karakaya also states that with this project, universities produce new values by working on the natural values of the cities to which they belong; additionally, he said: "Pilot university projects were designed to meet the region's and the countries' needs. Not only the Council of Higher Education (YOK) but also the government watch these projects. Because the pilot university project is Turkey project." Rector Karakaya says that with Pilot Universities Directive Preparation Workshop their goal is to prepare pilot university directive by sharing experiences of pilot universities with each other and setting aims for the project, and this project is not only about the university, but all dynamics of the city should also work together in order to be successful.