Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) Rector, Prof. Dr. Yavuz Ünal, stated, "Our university, with an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit, considers changes in science, technology, and methodology to formulate policies, constantly renews itself, and confidently progresses towards becoming an international university."

Rector Ünal: "In 2023, our university was honored with the 'Innovation and Success in Higher Education' award, identified as a Candidate Research University, and taken under observation."

During an announcement to journalists on the anniversary of OMU, founded on April 1, 1975, Ünal expressed pride in surpassing 49 years.

Highlighting the university's continuous development, he mentioned, "Our university operates with an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit, shaping policies in response to the shifts in science, technology, and methodology, thereby steadily advancing towards international recognition. In terms of education, research, and community service policies, we have based revisions on employment market expectations and fully implemented the Higher Education competencies. All graduates are required to have B1 level proficiency in one of the languages: English, Arabic, French, or German, and competencies are measured with final projects across all our programs."

Ünal pointed out that OMU received institutional accreditation from the Higher Education Quality Council (YÖKAK) in 2021 due to these policy revisions and application determinations. "In 2023, it was awarded the 'Innovation and Success in Higher Education' and recognized as a Candidate Research University. OMU has also advanced eleven places among entrepreneurial and innovative universities, ranking 35th, and has improved its position in the URAP ranking to 26, Webometrics to 21, and in rankings of effective universities to 18, also featuring in the top 10 for patenting and commercializing patents."

"We aim to improve human resources by training certified personnel to meet the quality staff needs of every sector."

Ünal remarked on the university's ambition to transform Research and Development (R&D) into a cultural element, stating, "OMU has prioritized supporting undergraduate research, resulting in the university ranking fifth twice in 2022 with 114 projects, and ninth among universities with 176 projects in the 2023/2 period according to TÜBİTAK undergraduate support. OMU aims to develop and expand its ecosystem by supporting undergraduate researchers. Collaborating with the National Education, OMU facilitated the establishment of OMU Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, striving to meet the demand for qualified personnel across sectors by training certified workers. Particularly, considering sectoral advancements, the university has embarked on an effort to train electric vehicle technicians, launching a six-month certified training program for 21 individuals to serve the industry, documenting its service with 673 certificates in such programs in 2023."

"As an institution aspiring to be an international university, OMU hosts approximately 6,000 students from 116 countries."

Rector Ünal underscored OMU's commitment to building strong future cadres, "As a university claiming to be international, OMU is home to around 6,000 students from 116 countries. OMU, offering quality healthcare services to all community layers, engages in win-win relationships with all production sectors in the region, taking on their R&D or consulting to make production more efficient and profitable. It has also fulfilled its duty to provide the necessary training for the industry's workforce and will continue to do so. Defining 2023 as the year of digital transformation, OMU has digitized its services. The university has facilitated access to expertise by developing a mobile application named Jop Social, which is available in stores and entirely domestic, striving to offer internship and job opportunities."