Globalization: effects on Turkish Higher Education

Abstract

Undoubtedly, one of the major changes in the 20th century is the globalization of the world. According to many, globalization means liberalism in financial respect or universality of democratic concepts and rules while others describe it as universal human rights, ecological matters or as a concept related with a process including all of the above. On the other hand, for those who are progressive, globalization refers to a process offering both allowing opportunities and risks. In that way, globalization is of great importance in establishment of permanent and profound changes in higher education. Accordingly, in such a process of change observed in universities, we see new forms as new technologies, new form of student (gradually varying age groups, students coming back to work, the idea of learning for the whole life), suppliers of new higher education, company universities for profit, virtual universities, expectations of new and gradually globalizing students, ever-increasing market-oriented competition, and a social environment which invariably sensitive to success. In this study, major headlines consisting of the effects of globalization on Turkish Higher Education in terms of paradigm, administration, financing, academic staff-student exchange, programme, private universities and academic freedom have been analyzed.