After the 2020 Contribution to Local Development Award within the scope of the Higher Education Council (YÖK) Outstanding Achievement Awards, the YÖK 2022 Outstanding Achievement Award in the category of Digital Transformation and Big Data Studies with the project titled "Determination of the Digital Sufficiency Level of Atatürk University" was presented by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Atatürk University Rector Prof. Dr. Ömer Çomaklı.

Rector Çomaklı received the award of Atatürk University, which was deemed worthy of the YÖK 2022 Outstanding Achievement Award at the 2022-2023 Higher Education Academic Year Opening Ceremony held at the Presidential Complex Beştepe Congress and Culture Center by the Higher Education Council, from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Source of Success New Generation University Project

Within the scope of the New Generation University Design and Transformation Project carried out under the coordination of Rector Çomaklı, the Digital Transformation and Software Office and the Data Management and Analysis Office were established and the policies and strategies of Atatürk University regarding digitalization and big data management were implemented. In this context, Carried out by the Digital Transformation and Software Office Coordinator Prof. Dr. Bülent Çavuşoğlu, the Atatürk University Digital Sufficiency Level Determination Project was the first in Turkish Higher Education in terms of the scale developed and the results obtained. In addition, Atatürk University had succeeded in being among the 8 universities selected within the scope of the Big Data Project of YÖK.

Project Coordinators Awarded

In addition to the corporate award, this year, for the first time, a certificate of achievement was given to the project executives. In this context, Faculty of Engineering Faculty Member and Digital Transformation and Software Office Coordinator Prof. Dr. Bülent Çavuşoğlu was also presented with a certificate of achievement by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Outstanding Service Awards are given in 5 Categories

Under the Corporate Awards title of YÖK, awards were given in five different categories: Digital Transformation and Big Data Studies, Social Responsibility, International Cooperation, University-Business Cooperation and Contribution to Local Development Award. With these awards, it is aimed to encourage and disseminate innovative studies and good practice examples completed in the previous year by higher education institutions.

 “We Focused on 2023 Targets in Digital Transformation”

Rector Çomaklı stated that digital transformation occurs in every field and higher education institutions are expected to take an active part in this process and be the pioneer of digital transformation, adding “Digital transformation includes making existing processes and working processes more effective and efficient by using new technologies. We work as a university that takes firm steps towards the future, being open to dialogue for academic staff, administrative staff and students. We work in a collective and merit-based manner, produce science, train scientists and contribute to our country's 2023 goals. In this context, we act with the responsibility of being a new generation university with the motto "Moving forward in the service of life" by giving importance to transformation rather than change in our university. With the awareness of the fact that technology has a great share in the said transformation, we aim to realize the mission of being a pioneer, which we have undertaken within the framework of our vision of a new generation university, on the way to becoming a digital university.”

Çomaklı continued his words as follows: “Atatürk University envisages integrating the functions of education, research and contribution to society within the framework of the New Generation University Vision, and adopts a 7-layer administrative approach and a multi-dimensional system approach in order to realize the mentioned integration. Based on this approach and the JISC corporate digital talent framework, a "7-dimensional strategic model in digital transformation" was created at Atatürk University. This study is a guide to higher education institutions in Turkey by presenting the best practice examples of how a higher education institution's digital capabilities can be developed and preparing an institutional framework for measuring digital capabilities. I hope that this study, prepared by Atatürk University Digital Transformation and Software Office, will make significant contributions to higher education institutions in our country in their digital transformation processes.”

Success Going to Ataturk University Family

Rector Çomaklı said that being deemed worthy of the outstanding service award within the scope of Digital Transformation and Big Data Studies in 2022, is a source of great pride for Atatürk University and that he received the award on behalf of the great Atatürk University family. Rector Çomaklı said, "First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who deemed us worthy of this award, and to our President of YÖK, Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar, and I congratulate Digital Transformation and Software Office Coordinator Prof. Dr. Bülent Çavuşoğlu, office workers and everyone who contributed to the process.”

What is Digital Transformation?

Digital transformation is the process of transforming human, technology and business processes in a holistic way within the framework of the possibilities offered by constantly developing information and communication technologies. Digital transformation in higher education institutions, on the other hand, is a process that includes acquiring digital competences for students and educators, transferring learning and research environments to digital environments in an appropriate way, carrying out all processes including education and management processes in digital environments, and using the digital data obtained in these processes in decision-making processes. Along with the developing technology, learning environments are entering the digital transformation process at a similar pace. In this process, many institutions are carrying out various transformation studies in different areas by starting digitalization movements in line with their own goals. Thanks to the transformations experienced, the fact that it is so fast and easy to access information with digital learning environments in our country and in the world also increases the studies in this direction.

With the increase in globalization and competition, the change of student profile over time, the increase in the demand for higher education and the internationalization of universities, digital transformation is becoming the first priority of universities in Turkey as well as all over the world. Digital transformation, which is among the outputs of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), has now become an indispensable element in higher education. In order to catch up with the era and even be one step ahead, conventional academic and scientific studies now need to be transferred to digital platforms, constantly updated and dynamically carried out.


CORPORATE COMMUNICATION DIRECTORATE - 10.10.2022