The Turkish Council of Higher Education announced a new program to develop skills in strategic technologies. It aims to select 550 doctoral students during the first year and train around 3,000 researchers over five years. The program will combine academic study with work as a research assistant, in a model that links research training to university employment from the beginning of the career path.
In its first phase, the program focuses on four areas: information technologies; hardware and computer systems; cybersecurity; and artificial intelligence and intelligent systems. Admitted students will receive their education at 23 research universities, while the relevant universities will appoint them to research assistant positions in accordance with applicable legislation.
Application and Selection Process
Applications will be submitted online between September 8 and 22 through the Council of Higher Education’s system designated for doctoral programs in priority areas. Applicants may choose a maximum of five programs within two different fields, and they will be evaluated only for the programs they select and for which they meet the application requirements.
Eligibility includes graduates of fields such as computer, software, electrical and electronics, artificial intelligence, mechatronics, mechanical, industrial, materials, energy, and aerospace engineering, in addition to mathematics, statistics, computer science, and information systems and technologies. Some places are also available to graduates of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law, and architecture, according to the fields specified in the application system, with the aim of directing diverse academic backgrounds toward technological priorities.
The central written examination will be held on November 28. Applicants must obtain at least 70 points to pass. The examination consists of a shared core module worth 50% and a specialized module accounting for the remaining percentage. Artificial intelligence topics include machine learning, neural networks, large language models, Transformer architecture, and trustworthy and explainable artificial intelligence, while cybersecurity topics include cryptography, authentication, threat modeling, network security, and software security.
The information technologies module includes programming, databases, cloud computing, and the software life cycle, while the hardware and computer systems module covers computer architecture, microprocessors, high-performance computing, embedded systems, and real-time systems. After the examination, the final assessment will be calculated from four components: 30% for the central examination, 25% for the undergraduate graduation grade, 25% for the ALES score, and 20% for the foreign-language examination score.
What Changes in Practice?
The model is not limited to funding doctoral studies; it links admission to a career path within the university. Some admitted students may be required to take scientific preparation courses, while bachelor’s degree graduates will enroll in integrated doctoral programs. Turkish Council of Higher Education President Erol Özvar says the goal is to strengthen the capacity of research universities and transform the knowledge produced there into technologies, products, patents, and economic value.
certi.news analysis: The program’s importance lies in addressing the gap between researcher training and the needs of the technical fields that Turkey has identified as strategic priorities. Combining a doctorate with a research assistant position may give participants greater stability within the academic environment, but its actual impact will depend on the quality of the host universities, the clarity of the specializations, and the ability of research to move from dissertations to products or patents. The announcement does not clarify the funding details or the number of places allocated to each field, points that will need to be reviewed in the detailed application requirements.