Meeting on Ranking Systems, Reputation Management Held
September 19, 2023
As part of our university's efforts to become internationalized, a meeting was held to discuss the importance of reputation management and improvements within the scope of ranking studies.
The meeting took place at the GTU Congress and Cultural Center and was attended by Prof. Dr. Işıl Kurnaz, GTU Vice Rector for R&D; deans, heads and deputy heads of departments; institute directors; Consultant Harun Elkıran and his team members; members of the GTU Ranking Committee; and members of the GTU Sustainability Committee.
The meeting began with an opening speech by Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Işıl Kurnaz. Kurnaz emphasized the importance of the university's international visibility, highlighting that increasing this visibility is a team effort. She pointed out that improving international reputation, which is an extension of all international activities, impacts all the efforts made, expressing her gratitude to everyone who has been supporting these efforts.
Following Prof. Kurnaz's speech, GTU Sustainability Office Coordinator Prof. Dr. Melek Özkan introduced the members of the Sustainability Committee and provided information about the purpose and activities of the coordination office.
After the informative presentation about the activities of the Sustainability Coordination Office, the Chair of the Ranking Committee, Prof. Dr. Didem Gözüpek, began her speech by introducing the members of the Ranking Committee. In her address, she briefly provided an overview of the current efforts and activities of the ranking team, as well as what rankings mean for universities. She then handed over the floor to Consultant Harun Elkıran to delve into the details of the matter.
Highlighting that quality will increase in almost every field depending on the improvement of international reputation, Elkıran drew attention to the significance of reputation management as a force that positively encompasses everyone in the university and advances it. While providing information about the current situation of our university and comparing it with the rankings of other universities, he also explained how the current situation could be improved. He stressed that the increase in international recognition should progress in parallel with the current efforts and listed the methods necessary for maintaining sustainable relationships and shared examples from the world to reveal how universities are ranked and which countries they interact with the most.
Following Consultant Harun Elkıran's presentation on ranking systems and their importance, an interactive brainstorming session was held to contribute and brainstorm opinions. Discussions revolved around what could be done, how it could be done, and how long it would take for the university to improve internationally, guided by suggestions and questions from the faculty. Finally, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Işıl Kurnaz thanked everyone once again for their support and commitment to the necessary improvements, concluding the meeting.
