Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU), one of the six Candidate Research Universities announced by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), held its weekly regular Research University YÖK Criteria Monitoring Board meeting.

The meeting, hosted at the OMU Rectorate, was attended by Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Çetin Kurnaz, members of the YÖK Criteria Monitoring Board, as well as directors of relevant centers and academics.

Expressing that OMU's inclusion in YÖK’s Candidate Research University Monitoring Program is a significant achievement, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Çetin Kurnaz stated:

"This process, evaluated based on 31 different performance indicators in areas such as research capacity, research quality, interaction, and collaboration, is both a source of success and a great responsibility for us. The candidate university status provides a vital opportunity to strengthen our research ecosystem, increase scientific productivity, and contribute to national and international development. As we advance toward becoming a research university, we have made numerous advancements guided by the decisions of this board, which was established to raise awareness and foster broad-based idea exchange within our university. It is very gratifying to see positive outcomes from the steps we’ve taken."

“Achieving Research University Status Will Provide Increased Funding for Scientific Research”

Stating that Ondokuz Mayıs University was established in 1975 and has become one of the strongest educational and research institutions in the country with its goal of becoming a research university and mission of internationalization, Kurnaz added:

"Our university comprises 20 faculties, 2 colleges, 14 vocational schools, 3 institutes, and 28 research centers. It also boasts a strong workforce of over 6,000 administrative and academic personnel. With approximately 53,000 students, we continue to provide education and training. OMU is a Candidate Research University accredited by the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council and holds the TS EN ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification. We are working tirelessly to achieve research university status. Once we attain this, more budgetary support will be provided for scientific research, and new projects will be developed to contribute to the growth of our region."

The meeting concluded with hopes of strengthening academic collaborations and creating new opportunities for future projects.