Haytek OUAM introduced its work within the scope of the YÖK-TÜME Cooperation Protocol

With the protocol signed between the Higher Education Council and the TÜME Foundation under the auspices of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, it is aimed to establish artificial intelligence-supported education and R&D farms covering 10 universities in the first phase. Within the scope of the protocol, 20 autonomous farms, new applied education models, and employment or entrepreneurship opportunities for approximately 40,000 young people are foreseen, while YÖK President Erol Özvar emphasized the special importance of MAKÜ's expertise in the field of livestock.

The cooperation protocol between the Higher Education Council (YÖK) and TÜME, aimed at accelerating digital transformation in agriculture and livestock, was signed under the auspices of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University (MAKÜ). The protocol aims to bring together the academic accumulation of universities with the field experience of the sector on the same ground and to strengthen the applied education capacity in agricultural technologies.  

Within the scope of the project, the establishment of 20 autonomous education and R&D farms supported by artificial intelligence is planned. In the first phase, cooperation will be initiated with Ankara University, Bursa Uludağ University, and Atatürk University, alongside MAKÜ, and the model to be implemented with the inclusion of Boğaziçi, Ege, Selçuk, Ondokuz Mayıs, Harran, and Tekirdağ Namık Kemal universities is planned to be expanded to other universities with agriculture and veterinary faculties in the future. 

Speaking at the ceremony, YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar stated that the signed protocol is a strategic step that will guide Turkey's policies on agriculture, livestock, technology, and human resources beyond the cooperation between the two institutions. Özvar expressed that food security, climate change, and sustainable production topics have moved agriculture and livestock beyond being an economic area, stating that despite approximately 14% of employment in Turkey being in this sector, its share in national income remains around 6%, making productivity and value-added increase necessary. 

Özvar noted that students will receive practical training at the education and research farms to be established at universities with the protocol, young farmers will be trained, and R&D activities in the field of agricultural technologies will be carried out. He stated that the aim is to increase productivity and value-added through the integration of artificial intelligence and smart production systems, and that the opening of the associate degree program in “Livestock Technologies and Management” is planned, with the expectation of creating employment or entrepreneurship opportunities for approximately 40,000 young people by the end of the process.

TÜME Board Chairman Abdülkadir Karagöz also stated that agriculture has become one of the global security issues, expressing that they have developed a technology-centered model and aim to establish 40,000 artificial intelligence-supported autonomous farms across Turkey. Karagöz mentioned that the farms to be established at universities will also function as centers for education and innovation.

We were pleased to participate as Haytek OUAM in the program held under the auspices of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, aimed at developing cooperation between higher education and the sector. At the event, where innovative practices in agriculture and livestock, the vision of digital transformation, and applied research and development activities were highlighted, our center showcased its work to the participants with a stand.

At our stand established during the event, our Center Director Prof. Dr. İsmail KIRBAŞ, Deputy Director Assoc. Prof. Ahmet ÇİFCİ, and Lecturer Yusuf EFTELİ provided visitors with information about Haytek OUAM's areas of activity, ongoing projects, and technology-based solution approaches. 

Throughout the program, academic circles, sector representatives, and relevant stakeholders came together to share information about our center's working vision, project approach, and cooperation potential. In this respect, the event created an important platform for promoting the activities carried out by Haytek OUAM to a wider audience and evaluating new collaboration opportunities.

The visit of YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar to our stand has also been particularly meaningful for our center. During the visit, information was provided to him about the projects carried out within Haytek OUAM, and our center's areas of work and goals were shared. This contact is valuable in terms of making visible the contributions that university-based research infrastructures and application-oriented centers can provide to our country's agricultural and livestock policies.