Arkin University of Creative Arts and Design (ARUCAD) opened the 2026-2027 academic year with a keynote lecture delivered by Prof. Dr. Ümit Kocabıçak, President of Turkey's Higher Education Quality Council (YÖKAK). The session focused on globalisation in higher education, the impact of artificial intelligence, and the significance 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, as well as Secretary General Cenk Dökmen. ARUCAD Rector Prof. Dr. Asım Vehbi, Board of Trustees Member Gülden Plümer Küçük, vice rectors, academic staff, and students were also present.
In his opening address, Rector Vehbi described quality assurance as a core strategic priority of the university. "We see quality not merely as completing evaluation processes, but as a motivation to continuously improve our education, build on our strengths, identify our shortcomings, and elevate the academic experience we offer our students day by day," he said.
Delivering the keynote, Prof. Kocabıçak argued that artificial intelligence should be viewed as a tool to achieve better outcomes across professions rather than simply a reason to open new academic programmes. Using radiology as an example, he noted that AI can support specialists in interpreting medical images without rendering human expertise obsolete. In the fields of art and design, he stressed that creative thinking, decision-making, and distinctly human skills retain their value, and that focusing on competencies AI struggles to replicate — such as sculpture — gives students a competitive edge.
Kocabıçak also underlined accreditation's role in international recognition, stating that a university's self-assessment is insufficient without independent external evaluation. He emphasised that quality assurance processes only fulfil their purpose when they lead to measurable improvements in educational quality, graduate employability, and internationalisation. The ceremony concluded with Rector Vehbi presenting a gift to Kocabıçak in recognition of his contribution.
