History of higher education in Turkey dates back to Nizamiye Madrasah
which was founded by Seljuks in Baghdad in 11th century AD. Madrasahs
had been one of the significant educational institutions in Ottoman
Empire and survived until the Empire’s decadence. Together with
religious courses there were other courses related with philosophy,
mathematics, astronomy and medicine in madrasahs that have
characteristics of a medieval university in several aspects. In these
institutions, education was restricted with learning and interpretation
of knowledge rather than producing and disseminating it. Madrasah had a
significant place in Ottoman Empire’s Rise. However it turned into an
obstructive institution in later periods of modernization attempts by
the deficiency in the capacity of inciting intellectual development and
trends of resistance against change.
After a series of defeats
in military field the Ottoman Empire initiated higher education
institutions in modern sense by founding military schools. First of
these schools is Muhendishane-i Bahri-i Humayun(Imperial
Naval Engineering College) which was founded in 1773. This one was a
three year school. The opening of this school is accepted to be the
beginning of the reform period from the point of education. The second
one is Muhendishane-i Berri-i Humayun(Imperial
Military Engineering College) which was opened in 1795. These two
institutions represent the first deviation from Madrasah education and
constitute the basis of today’s Istanbul Technical University. These
two schools are followed by the foundation of Tıbbiye(Imperial Medical College) in 1827 and
Harbiye(Imperial
Military College) in 1833. At the end of the 19th century and the
beginning of the 20th century various higher educational public
institutions that were affiliated to many ministries were founded. Some
of them are Mektebi Mülkiye(School of Public Administration) in 1877,
Hukuk Mektebi(School of Law) in 1878,
Ticaret Mekteb-i Alisi(Higher School of Commerce) in 1882, and
Mekteb-i Sanayi-i Nefise-i Tahane(Imperial School of Fine Arts) in 1882,
Muhendis Mekteb-i Alisi(Higher
School of Engineers) in 1909, Konduktor Mekteb-i Alisi (The Higher
School of Technicians) in 1911. These institutions form a basis for
universities that are founded in Republic Period such as Istanbul
Technical University, Marmara University, Mimar Sinan University and
Yıldız Technical University.
In a Western sense founding a university mostly under
European influence called House of Sciences (Darulfunun) was decided in
1836. Preparatory process lasted seventeen years. Before it was opened
entirely by the name The Ottoman House of Sciences (Dar’ul-Fununi
Osmani) in 1900 it was opened and closed twice because of the social
resistance particularly by Madrasah hodjas. In 1912 German professors
attended the teaching staff and research institutes were founded in
1915 that would be the beginning of modern academic research period.
Darulfunun was granted scientific autonomy in 1919. Upon the
proclamation of the Republic in 1923 madrasahs and religious schools
were closed and House of Sciences was incorporated in 1924 and its
legal personality was maintained. This institution was expected to
support the revolutions of the new Republic and raise the required
manpower for the new understanding.
Until 1933 Darulfunun was
closed by the Law No. 2252 for it could not fulfill the tasks
anticipated from this institution, specifically for it maintained a
negative attitude towards revolutions and serious and serviceable
scientific studies could not be done. However it was founded with a new
name called Istanbul University and a new university called Istanbul
Technical University was founded. By this law the autonomy was
suspended, the Universities were affiliated to Ministry of Education
and most of the teaching staff were discharged. Doors were opened to
German and Central European professors who escape from Nazi domination.
These foreign professors made substantial contributions such as raising
academic members for Turkish universities and science life, foundation
of many institutes, clinics, laboratories and science branches. This
period was the one that curriculums and researches were under strict
supervision.
The School of Law was founded in 1925, Institute of
Agriculture in 1930, Faculty of Language, History and Geography in
1935, Faculty of Science in 1943 and Medicine Faculty in 1945 as
independent higher education institutions at the new capital city,
Ankara while the reform studies continued in Istanbul.
In 1946 a
new arrangement was accomplished by enacting the Universities Law No.
4936. With this arrangement basically the universities were granted
scientific autonomy and incorporated again and the tasks of the
universities were determined in detail within education and research
frame which are main two functions of the universities.
In 1946
higher education institutions which were founded independently were
gathered under the same roof of Ankara University. Later until 1961
some other universities were also founded.They are Karadeniz Technical
University (1955, Trabzon), Ege University (1955, İzmir), Ortadoğu
Technical University (1957, Ankara), Atatürk University (1958,
Erzurum). These universities were founded as campus universities in a
different way than the existing universities of that date Among these
universities ODTÜ is organized in USA state university model.
In
1961 the constitution (Anayasa 1961) was amended and by item article
120 issues related to universities were included in the constitution
for the first time. This constitution defined the university as legal
personalities holding scientific and administrative autonomy and
adjudged that these institutions shall be managed and supervised by
authorized body of elected academic members.
In 1967 Hacettepe
Medicine Faculty affiliated to Ankara University, was turned into
Hacettepe University and The Robert College which was reduced to a
secondary education institution after the foundation of the Republic
was turned into public university with the name of Boğaziçi University.
New
academic arrangements were enacted by the Üniversiteler Kanunu, No.
1750 in 1973. Covering all the universities excluding ODTÜ, this law
has foreseen foundation of Yükseköğretim Kurulu (YÖK) as a coordinating
body and formation of Interuniversity Council as an immediate advisory
body that would be constituted by rectors and two delegates from both
of the universities (including ODTÜ). Yet it was deemed to be contrary
to the existent constitution by the Constitutional Supreme Court on
account of the fact that the autonomy of the university shall be
impaired by the reasons of Ministry of Education acting as the chairman
of the Yükseköğretim Kurulu (YÖK) and eligibility of the members out of
academic staff for the Council.
As mentioned above many
vocational schools were founded in Istanbul at the end of the 19th
century. In subsequent years these schools acquired the status of
off-university higher education institutions of the Turkish higher
education system after their evolution (of restructuring, changing
status and personification etc.). These schools were affiliated to
various ministries. Similar schools were founded in İzmir (1935),
Ankara (1953), Adana (1963) and Bursa (1967). These schools were
restructured several times and repersonified as state academies in
1969. State academies were arranged in three groups as fine arts
academies, academies of engineering and architecture and academies of
economic and commercial sciences.
State academies that are
founded to focus on vocational education and inspired by the
polytechnics in Europe, are intended to be education institutions
running bachelor’s degree programs on various vocational fields. But
the functional difference between academies and universities were
abated by an enacted law in 1977 and this condition caused certain
inconveniences to be experienced. Universities objected to this
condition and Constitutional Court abrogated the law. Functional
differences between universities and state academies and the legal
disorder continued until the end of 1970s.
Particularly from the
beginning of 1960s higher education demand grew because of growing
economy and increased population reasons. In the middle of 1960s one of
the endeavors to supply this demand was the allowance for the
foundation of profit-making private higher institutions that grant
bachelor's degree. At the end of the 1960s students were about 50.000
that are registered to these schools. However these schools were
affiliated to the public academies for they were deemed to be contrary
to the Constitution by the Constitutional Court in 1971.
Coming
back to university sector at the beginning of 1970s the industrial and
commercial activities increased around the cities Istanbul, Ankara and
İzmir. Today all these activities are spread all around the country. As
a result of the endeavors of expanding higher education nationwide
gained speed. In between 1973 and 1981 ten more universities were
founded excluding the above mentioned three major cities (Diyarbakır,
Eskişehir, Adana, Sivas, Malatya, Elazığ, Samsun, Konya, Bursa and
Kayseri). Öğrenci Seçme ve Yerleştirme Merkezi (ÖSYM) was founded so as
to prepare, organize and conduct central entrance examination for
higher education on different centers all around the country because of
the rapid growth in the system and the increase in higher education
demand. The same year for supplying the increase in demand "distance
education by post” was initiated for distant learning.
In 1982
Constitution of the Turkish Republic (Anayasa 1982) was amended and new
arrangements were foreseen about higher education by the new
constitution. One of the arrangements is restructuring Yükseköğretim
Kurulu (YÖK) as a constitutional body for coordination, supervision and
observation of the major activities (planning, organizing, governance,
education and research) of higher education institutions. The second
significant arrangement is the authorization granted to non-profit
foundations for founding higher education institutions. Today the
number of private (foundation) universities has increased to 30.
Yükseköğretim
Kanunu, No. 2547 enacted in 1981 that is determining for today's
structure of higher education system and the complementary
Yükseköğretim Kurumları Teşkilatı Kanunu, No. 2809 enforced in 1983
restructured higher education institutions by altering the organization
radically. By this restructuring the institutional and functional
disintegrations within the higher education system were eliminated and
higher education institutions were gathered under the body of the
universities in a systematic integrity. State academies congregated to
form new universities, all the vocational schools and conservatories
were affiliated to universities and schools that raise teachers were
turned into faculties and affiliated to universities. In other words,
higher education is structured under the umbrella of Yükseköğretim
Kurulu (YÖK) in a way that preventing any political intervention
possible. After the unification and restructuring eight new
universities were founded in Istanbul, Ankara, İzmir, Antalya, Edirne
and Van in 1982. Distance education programs were restructured and
Anadolu University Open Education Faculty was delegated the
responsibility for conducting distant education programs.
Bilkent
University that was founded in 1984 set the first pattern of its kind
as a non-profit private making higher education institution. In 1987
Gaziantep Campus was separated from Middle East Technical University
and Gaziantep University was founded. In 1992, 25 new state
universities and private universities were founded and the number of
universities reached to 56. The demand for higher education continued
increasingly and the system maintained its expansion. Recently in 2006
15 and in 2007 17 public universities were founded. Currently Turkish
higher education system consists of 85 public universities and 30
private universities (run by none-profit foundations), one private
independent higher vocational school.
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