THEQC Quality Meeting II Focuses on the “Use of Future Scenarios in the Change Management”

The second one of the Turkish Higher Education Quality Council’s (THEQC) Quality Meetings was held with the participation of Prof. Elif Çepni, Dean at Karabük University’s Faculty of Business and the UNESCO Chair on Futures Literacy, who contributed to the meeting with a presentation on the “Use of Future Scenarios in the Change Management.”

The online event, conducted with broad participation of the Rectors and Vice-Rectors of state and foundation universities, the evaluation team leaders working on behalf of THEQC, the THEQC officials, and Quality Coordinators from HEIs, started with an opening speech by Prof. Muhsin Kar, THEQC President.

President Kar started his speech by saying, “I would like to express my respect and gratitude to all our guests and you, my esteemed colleagues, who honoured us by participating in the second one of the Quality Meetings THEQC has organised,” and gave information about the work THEQC carries out.

President Kar emphasised that THEQC had three basic duties; namely, supporting the quality assurance systems of higher education institutions, recognising and authorising accreditation agencies, and disseminating the quality culture, and stated, “As an institution, THEQC fulfils its third duty of disseminating the quality culture through the activities carried out by the Students Commission for students and the creation of quality assurance systems in Turkish universities with the conferences we organised at several universities.”

President Kar continued his speech by stating that THEQC aims to evaluate all higher education institutions in Türkiye in the scope of the Institutional Accreditation Program until 2027 and added, “Twenty-three universities have been evaluated in the Institutional Accreditation Program so far. This year, thirty universities have been included in the Institutional Accreditation Program. We expect this number to increase even more in the coming years.”

After President Kar’s speech, Prof. Çepni made her presentation on the “Use of Future Scenarios in the Change Management,” and stated, “The changes in communication and information technologies cause a very rapid change. Considering that universities are institutions that should lead society, we face new technologies every year in this respect. We observe that our expectations, business life and daily life have changed. The economy and financial markets are becoming more and more unpredictable. The pressure of environmental movements and non-governmental organisations on institutions is increasing. The business world is not only changing; it is also transforming. For this reason, it will help the universities to develop a strategic plan with a much longer-term, including different scenarios instead of 5-year fixed-purpose plans while developing a strategic plan. The universities should follow the changes that may occur in the future very well with a participatory management approach taking into account the changes in the world and representing many different disciplines.” Emphasising the necessity of discussing by combining scientific knowledge, big data and creative imagination in this context, Prof. Çepni stated that preparations for solutions in different scenarios should be made before these events occur and considering their effects if they happen.

The event, where many participants had the opportunity to take the floor and convey their questions, opinions and wishes, ended with a commemorative photo-shooting of President Kar and the participants.