Global Education Leaders Converge in Istanbul for EURIE 2026
Istanbul, April 8 – The 11th Eurasian Higher Education Summit (EURIE 2026), organized by the Eurasian Universities Union (EURAS), successfully concluded in Istanbul. The summit, held at the Istanbul Lütfi Kırdar International Congress and Exhibition Center, gathered leading universities, academics, and representatives from the higher education sector from 50 countries.
Emphasis on International Cooperation and Quality Improvement
The summit, sponsored by Milliyet Newspaper, hosted over 100 speakers and welcomed 300 institutions from 50 nations. During the opening program, Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), underscored the summit’s significance in fostering new partnerships, encouraging dialogue, and supporting lasting institutional collaboration.
Özvar noted that approximately 250 million students are currently enrolled in higher education worldwide, with projections indicating this number could reach 600 million by 2040. “Such remarkable growth necessitates a review of higher education systems not only in terms of access but also in terms of quality, sustainability, digital transformation, and inclusivity,” Özvar stated. “Turkey is actively responding to this transformation. Having largely completed the massification phase, which significantly expanded access to higher education, our country is now focused on further strengthening our system in terms of quality, specialization, applied learning, and international competitiveness.”
Turkey’s Strong Performance in Higher Education
During the summit, Özvar also met with a delegation from the Union of Arab Universities, who presented him with the ‘Arab-Eurasian Higher Education Corridor Creation Project’.
Mustafa Gültepe, President of the Turkish Exporters Assembly, and Şekib Avdagiç, Chairman of the Service Exporters Association, highlighted Turkey’s strength in higher education. Phil Baty, CEO of Times Higher Education, revealed that for the first time this year, they conducted an analysis of universities in Turkic States. Baty noted that Turkey demonstrated the best performance, with institutions in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan also standing out.
Universities as Centers for Global Solutions
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Aydın, President of EURAS and EURIE, emphasized that the summit would lead to new collaborations in international higher education. “Universities are no longer just institutions that produce knowledge; they must also be centers that develop solutions to global crises and contribute to humanity,” Aydın remarked. He added that EURIE is one of the leading platforms promoting cooperation in higher education, and efforts to strengthen academic partnerships and increase knowledge sharing will continue. Aydın reiterated that international cooperation is a necessity for universities.
Source: milliyet.com.tr
