Education & Research

Driven by government reforms, increased private sector investment, and one of the largest and youngest populations in Europe, Turkey’s education sector has grown and matured impressively over the past decade. As the country moves forward on a host of education targets, including Vision 2023’s goal of reducing unemployment to 5%, key indicators such as literacy and enrolment have shown improvement. However, stakeholders have highlighted continuing challenges, including low enrolment across the secondary and tertiary levels, gender and regional disparities at the primary and secondary levels, and serious capacity constraints in the post-secondary system. The government has taken note, increasing its annual education budget each year and launching new projects aimed at expanding research and development (R&D) at post-secondary institutions. Turkey’s sizeable young population is poised to capitalise on a growing and increasingly inclusive education system that should help to improve employability and employment levels in the years to come.

This chapter contains an interview with Turgut Şenol, General Manager, Teknopark Istanbul.