The memorandum of understanding between the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THEQC) and the British Council, aiming to establish a strategic partnership based on cooperation in the field of higher education quality assurance in the United Kingdom and Turkey, was signed on 20 October 2021. The signing ceremony held at YÖKAK, and was attended by THEQC President Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Elmas, THEQC Vice President Prof. Dr. Sibel Aksu Yıldırım, the British Council Turkey’s Country Director Cherry Gough and Director Education Ayşen Güven.
The memorandum of understanding requires the two institutions to collaborate on the sharing of expertise in the field of quality assurance in higher education, the dissemination of good practices and quality assurance projects; It aims to develop participation and cooperation to deliver joing research, training and expertise, and to share information within the scope of quality assurance in higher education between the United Kingdom and Turkey.
This two year agreement between The Turkish Higher Education Quality Council, which evaluates the quality levels of higher education institutions' education and research activities and administrative services according to national and international quality standards, carries out internal and external quality assurance, accreditation processes and authorization of independent external evaluation institutions, and the British Council, which is the international organization responsible for cultural relations educational opportunities and opportunities of the United Kingdom, also includes cooperation in other fields that provide mutual benefit to the institutions.
Prof. Dr Muzaffer Elmas, President of the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council, at the signing ceremony, stated that the rapid change in the world is very effective in the field of education, and that they want to increase education and cooperation in two issues that have become very important as a result. Prof. Elmas said, ‘We want to increase the number of teaching and learning centers of excellence in universities. In this context, we will provide trainings to more than a thousand academics, especially on change in education and delivery. We aim to spread the outputs of this cooperation with the British Council to these institutions. Micro-credentials have gained great importance as a result of the direct effects of the change in the world. In the past, there were not many institutions providing qualifications other than universities, but recently this situation has completely changed and the quality assurance of these qualifications has gained importance’.
Cherry Gough, Country Director of the British Council in Turkey said: “The British Council aims to build positive long-term relationships between the UK and other countries in the areas of Education, English and Ars and Culture. Our partnership with the Higher Education Quality Council has been a great example of a relationship which benefits both countries through the exchange of expertise and good practice in areas that are essential for the creation of high quality, successful higher education systems. Starting with a joint project in 2018 looking at quality assurance in English, we have now developed our co-operation beyond English to key areas such as teaching excellence and accreditation. I’m delighted that this continuing close relationship with the HEQC is now set out in an MOU which will lead to stronger relations, more engagement and even closer cooperation between the UK and the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council’.