With the effect of the recent economic crisis environment, migration abroad has accelerated in many occupational groups, while the new announcement made by Council of Higher Education (YÖK) attracted attention. While implementations are expected to prevent the qualified workforce from going abroad constantly, the fact that YÖK paved the way for graduates from 129 departments to go to the EU more easily drew a reaction.
QUALIFIED LABOR MAY FLEE TO EU
It has been announced that 129 undergraduate programs in Turkey have been placed in the Turkish Qualifications Framework (TQF) database, and they have earned the right to have both TQF and European Qualifications Framework (EQF) logos on their diplomas after graduation. The diplomas of the students who graduated from the determined 129 undergraduate programs will be recognized faster abroad, employment opportunities will increase, and horizontal and vertical student mobility will be facilitated. In this case, the way for immigration to abroad, which has been on the agenda of recent times, has been opened.
Announced by YÖK, 129 undergraduate programs from 39 universities in Turkey with the decision to be placed in the Turkish Qualifications Framework (TQF) database, these programs are entitled to use the TQF and European Qualifications Framework (EQF) logos in their diplomas. With this right, it will enable students who have graduated from 129 undergraduate programs to practice their profession abroad and be employed in Europe. However, while the increase in the migration of young people abroad was on the agenda in the economic crisis environment that was already experienced with the pandemic, this regulation led to comments that "YÖK paved the way for migration abroad."
24 OF 129 UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS ARE MEDICINE
According to the data of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB), 1,111 doctors migrated abroad in the first nine months of 2021, while more than 8 thousands physicians resigned in 18 months. While these data are obvious, it is noteworthy that 24 of the 129 undergraduate programs added to the TQF announced by YÖK are medical faculties. Already with the pandemic, while healthcare workers’ migration and their resignations were on the agenda, this decision caused reactions.