Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik, met with our faculty members who completed their master’s and doctoral degrees abroad over breakfast as part of our strategy to rank among the world’s top 100 universities by 2031. During the meeting, which focused on scientific productivity and internationalization, action plans and incentive mechanisms to strengthen the university’s global standing were discussed.

Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik, met with our faculty members who have completed their graduate and doctoral studies abroad at a 2031 vision and academic consultation meeting to discuss the goal of elevating Yıldız Technical University’s capacity for technology and science production above international standards. YTÜ Vice Rectors Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya and Prof. Dr. Güleda Engin were also present at the meeting. 

The breakfast meeting, which assessed YTÜ’s current status and strategic roadmap—as the university ranks 4th among state universities—took place in a multifaceted interactive setting where participants presented solution-oriented ideas. The meeting addressed interdisciplinary research groups that go beyond individual studies, as well as joint projects to be carried out with international institutions and industry representatives. Topics such as increasing the university’s Scientific Research Projects (BAP) budget and providing scholarships to doctoral students from the university’s own resources were discussed. 

“We are fully committed to our ‘Top 100’ vision” 

Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik, who shared the university’s future goals and summarized the academic staff’s innovative role in this process, stated that they have entered the global competition among research universities with strength. 

Debik said, “Since our competitors are constantly running, we can no longer just run—we need to sprint. We are fully committed to our vision of entering the world’s top 100 universities by 2031.”

Highlighting the importance of internationalization efforts and the transfer of qualified human resources, Prof. Dr. Debik continued: 

"Instead of waiting for students to come from the government or abroad, we must go out to all corners of the world to personally identify and bring in talented students. We must transition to an era of transferring talent and R&D resources to the university from abroad." 

Debik noted that the 12.6% increase in the number of articles published in prestigious journals—those in the top 10%—could be transformed into a sustainable success through the right incentive mechanisms. During the meeting, current metrics regarding project and high-quality publication numbers were examined in detail, and solutions were discussed to overcome the bottlenecks academics face in the field. 

International Project Office in Operation 

Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik noted that the university, which is strengthening its institutional infrastructure to achieve global goals, will provide end-to-end professional consulting to academics in the processes of drafting, managing, and executing international-scale projects through the International Project Office—located within the Technology Transfer Office and staffed by experts with experience in Brussels.

Goal: Reversing brain drain through talent acquisition 

One of the most significant strategic moves discussed at the meeting was the "Talent Hunting" (Headhunting) strategy in human resources planning. While the goal is to increase the number of foreign faculty members from the current level of 25 to 300, it was emphasized that the international networks of academics play a critical role in achieving this target. 

Noting that the bureaucratic challenges encountered in the process are merely "growing pains," Prof. Dr. Debik conveyed a message of determination, stating, "I’m putting my neck on the line, so to speak, for the first 100. We expect all our academics to use their own international connections to bring at least one qualified academic to our university."

Debik noted that they are pursuing a similar vision for doctoral programs, stating that academics must personally take the initiative and go out “hunting for doctoral candidates.” 

It was announced that a special project grant of 150,000 TL has been allocated through the Research Support Fund (BAP) to enable faculty members recruiting qualified doctoral students from abroad to manage the overseas interview processes. Reminding that the number of doctoral students and graduates is a critical metric in international rankings such as QS and THE, Debik stated that the requirement to complete a doctoral thesis for professorship appointments is also a necessary step in line with the university’s global interests.

Support for Research and High-Quality Publications 

Rector Debik emphasized that institutional resources have been mobilized to the fullest extent to achieve global goals. Prof. Dr. Debik, who emphasized that institutional resources are being mobilized at the highest level to achieve global goals, announced that the approximately 15 million TL budget allocated by the government for the Research Support Fund (BAP) has been increased to 200 million TL through revolving funds and the university’s own resources. Noting that the university had added an additional 50 million TL to the 72 million TL in support transferred by the Higher Education Council (YÖK) to research universities, Debik detailed the new incentives to be offered as follows:

"Through our Yıldız Technology Park and our foundation, we will provide approximately 80 million TL in support for our research this year. With this budget, we will offer TÜBİTAK-level scholarships to a total of 100 doctoral students—50 from abroad and 50 domestic—as well as an additional 20 postdoctoral researchers. To increase the number of high-impact, high-quality publications, we are offering up to 150,000 TL in open-access journal fee support to faculty members publishing in prestigious journals within the top 1% percentile. For journals in the top 10% percentile, we will provide publication support at a 30% rate, either in addition to support from the Strategic Planning Directorate or entirely from our own resources."

Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik, emphasized that the goal of ranking in the top 100 by 2031 is by no means an unattainable dream, provided that existing shortcomings are swiftly addressed and the university’s significant potential is utilized effectively.

The meeting concluded with a dynamic and results-oriented session where faculty members took the floor one by one to present their strategic recommendations for the university’s goal of ranking in the top 100.