ARUCAD’s 9th Academic Year Opening Lecture Delivered by YÖKAK President Prof. Dr Ümit Kocabıçak

Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design (ARUCAD) inaugurated the 2026–2027 Academic Year with an opening lecture by Prof. Dr. Ümit Kocabıçak, President of the Higher Education Quality Council of Türkiye (YÖKAK), addressing globalisation in education, the impact of artificial intelligence and the importance of accreditation.

The ceremony was attended by YÖDAK President Prof. Dr. Aykut Hocanın, Vice-President Prof. Dr. Hasan Amca, board members Prof. Dr. Zafer Ağdelen, Prof. Dr Remziye Terkan and Prof. Dr. Murat Tezer, and Secretary-General Cenk Dökmen. ARUCAD Rector Prof. Dr. Asım Vehbi, Board of Trustees Member Gülden Plümer Küçük, ARUCAD Vice-Rectors, academic staff and students were also present.

Following a moment of silence and the Turkish National Anthem, ARUCAD Rector Prof. Dr. Asım Vehbi delivered the opening speech. He stated that quality and accreditation were among the University’s strategic objectives, saying, “We view quality not merely as completing evaluation processes, but as a source of motivation that enables us to continuously improve our education, strengthen our existing capabilities, identify our shortcomings and enhance the academic experience we offer our students with each passing day.” Vehbi emphasised that quality assurance was a shared responsibility of all components of the University.

Kocabıçak: We Must Focus on Creative Skills That Artificial Intelligence Cannot Replicate
Delivering the opening lecture, YÖKAK President Prof. Dr. Ümit Kocabıçak emphasised that artificial intelligence could be used as a tool to achieve better results across various professional fields. “We should not think of the development of artificial intelligence solely in terms of opening new departments in this field,” Kocabıçak said. “Let us take radiology as an example. Artificial intelligence can make significant contributions to specialists in interpreting images. This does not mean that the field of radiology will disappear. Specialists can achieve better results by combining their own assessments with AI-generated analyses. In communications, we can also benefit from these tools for tasks such as summarising lengthy video recordings. In art and design, however, creative ideas, decision-making and uniquely human skills remain important. Focusing on skills that artificial intelligence struggles to perform, particularly in areas such as sculpture, gives you an advantage. We need to develop these skills while making use of the opportunities offered by technology.”

Continuing his speech, Kocabıçak highlighted the importance of accreditation for international recognition. “It is not enough for a university to simply declare itself good. Independent evaluators must examine the institution and identify its strengths and areas for improvement. Accreditation is crucial for the international recognition of universities and for ensuring that graduates’ qualifications are recognised in different countries. At YÖKAK, we conduct our evaluations in accordance with European standards. However, if these processes do not ultimately improve the quality of education and research, contribute to our graduates’ employment prospects, or enhance our social impact and internationalisation performance, then the work carried out has not achieved its purpose. Quality assurance and accreditation must lead to tangible improvements in the University’s activities,” he stated.

Following the opening lecture, ARUCAD Rector Prof. Dr. Asım Vehbi thanked Prof. Dr. Ümit Kocabıçak for his contribution and presented him with a gift.