CoHE, TOBB, and ISKAV Sign Cooperation Protocol for Qualified
Employment
May 26, 2025
The Council of Higher Education (CoHE) signed a cooperation protocol with
the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB) and the
Heating, Cooling, and Air Conditioning Research and Education Foundation
(ISKAV) to increase qualified employment in the air conditioning sector.
Under the cooperation, scholarships will be provided to eligible students
studying in mechanical engineering and energy engineering at Gazi
University, Ege University, Karabük University, and Yıldız Technical
University, to develop employment opportunities in the sector.
In his speech at the signing ceremony, Prof. Haldun Göktaş, Deputy
President of the Higher Education Council, emphasized the importance of
university-sector cooperation, stating, “Within the scope of
university-sector cooperation, we hold regular meetings to learn about the
demands of the sector and the business world, follow up on their feedback
and suggestions, and strive to respond quickly to their demands through
cooperation protocols. We aim to expand an educational model that heavily
incorporates workplace training and internships, particularly for our
programs that involve professional practice."
Göktaş added, ”Under the protocol, scholarships will be awarded to
successful students enrolled in the mechanical and energy systems
engineering programs at four Turkish universities starting from their
second year. The scholarship will amount to 40% of the net minimum wage,
excluding the minimum subsistence allowance, and will be applied for a
period of nine months. Additionally, students will be provided with
opportunities for workplace training and internships in the HVAC sector,
and after graduation, our engineers will have the possibility of employment
in the HVAC sector for a period of five years.”
Emphasizing the active implementation of the process, Göktaş said, “We are
establishing an Executive Committee for the protocol. This committee will
monitor students receiving scholarships, conduct works related to workplace
training and internships, promote the scholarship, make recommendations for
improvements to ensure that graduates continue to work in the sector,
identify the sector's need for mechanical and energy systems engineers, and
keep all parties informed.”
Göktaş stated that university programs will continue to be transformed
according to the needs of the sector, saying, “Currently, 207 vocational
schools are accepting students into mechanical engineering associate degree
programs. We have submitted proposals to Turkish universities to convert
some of these into Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology associate
degree programs, which are needed by the air conditioning sector. We aim to
expand the collaboration with the HVAC sector to other sectors as well. We
are open to proposals from all sectors."
TOBB Board Member Seyit Ardıç noted that the protocol enables the direct
cultivation of the specialized human resources needed by the sector,
stating, ”I believe this protocol will be one of the finest examples of
university-industry collaboration.”
TOBB's Türkiye Air Conditioning Council President Salih Zeki Poyraz said,
“We are ready to share our experience in the real sector with the
students.”
The signing ceremony for the protocol was attended by CoHE Deputy President
Prof. Haldun Göktaş, CoHE Members Prof. Erol Arcaklıoğlu, Prof. Arif
Bilgin, Prof. Kemal Şenocak, TOBB Board Member Seyit Ardıç, TOBB's Türkiye
Climate Control Council Chairman Zeki Poyraz, ISKAV Vice President Nurettin
Özdemir, Climate Control Industry Exporters Association (ISIB) Chairman
Mehmet Hakkı Şanal, sector representatives, and university rectors.