Turkish Higher Education Quality Council (THEQC) has successfully completed the European Quality Assurance Register for Higher Education (EQAR) Registration, which is one of the important steps of the Bologna Process. In this context, with the decision taken on March 3, 2023, approval was given for the EQAR registration of THEQC activities within the scope of European Standards and Guidelines (ESG). According to the information obtained from THEQC, the successful completion of the EQAR Registration represents an important step for Turkey in terms of diploma visibility and equivalence of qualifications with quality assurance in our country in The European Higher Education Area (EHEA). With the EQAR Registration, the reports on the institutional external evaluation and institutional accreditation activities carried out by THEQC, the official institution responsible for quality assurance in higher education in Turkiye, will also be included in the EQAR database (DEQAR). At the same time, with the EQAR Registration, the development stage of the external quality assurance system in the Turkish Higher Education System will reach the dark green level, which is the highest level of compliance indicators, in the Bologna process implementation reports.

According to the statement, THEQC continues its support for program accreditation activities by authorizing and recognizing national and international accreditation institutions in order for the diplomas received in our country to meet the quality-assured qualifications, while the institutional external evaluation and accreditation activities of higher education institutions, which are its main task, will take place with the registration of ENQA and EQAR in accordance with European ESG standards.

With the EQAR registration obtained by THEQC, universities that have a Full Institutional Accreditation Certificate for 5 years in Turkish Higher Education will also be able to benefit from EQAR. Kırşehir Ahi Evran University, which received a Full Institutional Accreditation Certificate for 5 years in 2022, took its place among the universities that received the EQAR registration. EQAR Registration will not only contribute to the recognition and mobility of the diplomas of our university students and graduates but also will have an important function in the preference of international students.

Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya, who made a statement on the subject, stated that the EQAR Registration obtained by THEQC made a significant contribution to the Higher Education of Turkiye and explained that the registration brought international equivalence to the universities with Full Accreditation for 5 years. Noting that the EQAR Registration also elevated THEQC to the level of the quality board that carried out external evaluation and accreditation within the scope of The Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG) 2015, Rector Karakaya said that it confirms the full participation of the Turkish higher education system in the Bologna Process within the scope of quality assurance. Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya stated that higher education institutions would announce that universities have undergone external evaluation and accreditation by THEQC, which makes quality assurance in ESG 2015 standards, by uploading Institutional Feedback Reports and Institutional Accreditation Reports to the EQAR database and sharing them with the international public. The publication of the reports in the EQAR database would both contribute to the recognition and mobility of the graduates' diplomas and would have an important place in the preference of international students. Because EQAR Registration would serve a special function to accelerate and facilitate the equivalence processes of foreign students who study and graduate at a THEQC-accredited university when they return to their countries.” Rector Karakaya stated that Kırşehir Ahi Evran University was among the universities with international equivalence with its EQAR Registration, moreover, he said that since our university was a university with Full Institutional Accreditation for 5 years, it would be in the category of quality universities in the Measuring, Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) preference guide for five years.