Historical Burdens of Turkish Universities

Die historische Erblast türkischer Universitäten | Türkiye’de Üniversitenin Tarihsel Sorunlarla Yüzleşmesi

 

Abstract: During the long period of Ottoman rule, institutions of tertiary education were considered to be the same as Islamic Schools (madrasas; Medreseler). However, during the phase of modernisation, these institutions did not fulfil any functions. Institutions of tertiary education comparable to those in Europe were first established during the Tanzimat period (= enlightenment in the Ottoman Empire). The Darülfünun (= university), which opened in 1863, was, in terms of its philosophy, programme, organisation and personnel structure, an independent tertiary institution. Nevertheless, it was repeatedly closed and reopened. Extra-mural interference continued throughout this period.
DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1515/phw-2015-4502.
Languages: English, Deutsch, Türkçe

During the long period of Ottoman rule, institutions of tertiary education were considered to be the same as Islamic Schools (madrasas; Medreseler). However, during the phase of modernisation, these institutions did not fulfil any functions. Institutions of tertiary education comparable to those in Europe were first established during the Tanzimat period (= enlightenment in the Ottoman Empire). The Darülfünun (= university), which opened in 1863, was, in terms of its philosophy, programme, organisation and personnel structure, an independent tertiary institution. Nevertheless, it was repeatedly closed and reopened. Extra-mural interference continued throughout this period.

Universities under the Command and in the Service of the Revolutions

The Darülfünun (= university), which opened in 1863, was, in terms of its philosophy, programme, organisation and personnel structure, an independent tertiary institution. Nevertheless, it was repeatedly closed and reopened. Extra-mural interference continued throughout this period. When the republican period started, the new regime expected unrestricted support and obedience from the universities. In 1924, when the Unification of Education (Tevhid-i Tedrisat) Act became law, the tertiary institutions of the madrasas were closed.[1] With the help of experts from abroad, the Kemalist regime implemented an important university reform in 1933. The regime abolished the Ottoman Darülfünun and established a university in Istanbul that predominantly employed scientists from Europe, most of whom were Jewish.

Universities between Intervention and Elitism

After 1940, the prevailing opinion in Turkey was that selective admission to university was preferable to opening universities to the masses. The elites have always controlled access to university education and reserved it for themselves. Every important political upheaval in Turkey that occurred after the 1908 revolution was accompanied by changes at universities. In 1909, the Committee for Unity and Progress (İttihat ve Terakki Cemiyeti) dismissed the members of staff. In 1919, Ali Kemal sacked many lecturers/sessional instructors. In 1933, the Kemalist regime sacked two-thirds of the personnel at the Ottoman Darülfünun. Because of their communist activities, many lecturers/sessional instructors were removed from the staff between 1944 and 1948. After the military coup in 1960, and between the overthrows in 1971 and 1980, imprisonments and dismissals occurred on a massive scale. University staff members had similar problems after the post-modern overthrow of 28 February 1997. However, it should be noted here that some instructors collaborated with the putschists.[2] The greatest problem in Turkish universities and, simultaneously, its cause are the functionaries within the university. The Constitution and the 2457 Law give the administrations wide-ranging rights.

Massive Growth of Universities during the AK Party Era

In recent years, ever since the AK party has determined politics in Turkey, massive changes have occurred in the country’s socio-political structures – also with respect to universities. Quantitatively, university education grew very rapidly. In 1949, there were three universities, 17 colleges, 26.400 students and 1.336 instructors. In 1982, students numbers reached 281.539; in 1990, 736.761; in 2000, 1.596.462; in 2010, 3.780.916; and, since 2014, 5.5 million. In 1992, there were 22.000 lecturers; in April 2014, 141.674. However, the staff-student ratio in 2000 was 1:45; in 2013, it was 1:48. The average in OECD countries is 1:15.6.[3]

Universities under the Spell of their Historical Heritage

Despite this massive growth, attitudes and opinions are still moulded on the historical heritage. This applies equally not only to teacher-assistant relationships, which originated from Ottoman customs, to research methodology, to professional ethics, to academic freedom, and to employment policies for academic personnel, but also to bullying and similar cultural habits and customs. For example, when university personnel are hired, political and social affiliations, religion, and references are important criteria for the assessment of applications and employment decisions. Somebody who wants to work in peace and under stable conditions in a university cannot achieve this with academic qualifications but with loyalty. Nepotism is quite normal at universities.[4]
Surprisingly, Turkish universities are the global leaders in terms of female employment; the quota is 47.5 %.[5] However, this is not, as claimed by a female academic and member of the Turkish elite, Professor Gülsün Saglamer, the result of the affirmative action programme introduced by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during his term of office. It is also not the result of equal rights, a culture of democracy, and esteem for efforts to make women successful but of the exact opposite; it is the result of nepotism and long-lasting old boy networks.

Fundamental Targets, Risks, and Expectations

All indicators point towards a further quantitative expansion of the Turkish university system. According to a statement made by the former President of the YÖK [Authority for Higher Education], university education must pursue three important aims: 1. the transition from quantitative to qualitative expansion; 2. the development of academic staff and its training; 3. the internationalisation of the universities (Cetinsaya 1982). Higher education in Turkey requires profound and comprehensive renewal and reform. It requires a new law that guarantees diversification, scientific and academic freedom, institutional freedom and transparency, institutional evaluation and professional competition, financial flexibility, and quality assurance. In addition, fundamental prerequisites for a modern university system include transparent university administrations, establishment and preservation of scientific ethics, the protection of quality standards, and basic liberal principles.

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Further Reading

  • Çetinsaya, Gökhan. Büyüme, Kalite, Uluslararasılaşma: Türkiye Yükseköğretimi İçin Bir Yol Haritası, Ankara: YÖK Yayınları, 2014.
  • Doğu Batı Dergisi, “Akademidekiler”, (1999). S.7, Ankara.

Web Resources

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[1] İhsanoğlu, Ekmeleddin. (2010) Osmanlı’da Kültürel Modernleşmenin Odağı: Darülfünun, İstanbul: IRCICA Yayınları, s.75.
[2] Gündüz, Mustafa. (2013) “Akademiyi Anımsamak: Anılarda Üniversite Sorunları ve Eleştiriler”, Journal of Higher Education and Science, V:3, No:1, pp.16-26.
[3] Çetinsaya, Gökhan. Büyüme, Kalite, Uluslararasılaşma: Türkiye Yükseköğretimi İçin Bir Yol Haritası, Ankara: Yükseköğretim Kurulu Yayınları, 2014.
[4] http://www.aljazeera.com.tr/al-jazeera-ozel/universite-cok-ogretim-elemani-yok
[5] Grove, Jack. “Glass ceiling remains in place for female academics”, http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/features/the-global-gender-index/2003517.article (Last accessed 24.8.2015).

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Image Credits

Istanbul, the University. Picture by: Giovanni Dall’Orto, May 29 2006. Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:4664_Istanbul_-_Università_-_Foto_G._Dall%27Orto_29-5-2006.jpg

Recommended Citation

Gündüz, Mustafa: Historical Burdens of Turkish Universities. In: Public History Weekly 3 (2015) 26, DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1515/phw-2015-4502.

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Categories: 3 (2015) 26
DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1515/phw-2015-4502

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