For a fully independent Turkey in food, the YÖK-TÜME cooperation protocol was signed at MAKÜ.

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

Within the scope of the project, it is planned to establish 20 autonomous training and R&D farms supported by artificial intelligence. In the first phase, cooperation was initiated with Ankara University, Bursa Uludağ University, and Atatürk University, while the model to be implemented by including Boğaziçi, Ege, Selçuk, Ondokuz Mayıs, Harran, and Tekirdağ Namık Kemal universities in the process is planned to be expanded to other universities with faculties of agriculture and veterinary medicine 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 agriculture, livestock, technology, and human resources policies beyond the cooperation between the two institutions. Özvar expressed that the topics of food security, climate change, and sustainable production take agriculture and livestock beyond being an economic field, and although approximately 14% of employment in Turkey is in this sector, its share in national income remains around 6%, making productivity and added value increase mandatory. 

Özvar noted that with the protocol, students will receive practical training in the education and research farms to be established at universities, young farmers will be trained, and R&D activities in the field of agricultural technologies will be conducted. Özvar stated that the integration of artificial intelligence and smart production systems aims to increase productivity and added value, and that it is planned to open an associate degree program in “Livestock Technologies and Management,” with the process expected to create employment or entrepreneurship opportunities for approximately 40,000 young people. 

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

YÖK President Erol Özvar: “MAKÜ stands out!”

In his speech, YÖK President Özvar also made a special mention of MAKÜ. Özvar stated that they consider it important for the university to actively contribute to the process with its specialized structure in livestock, and thanked Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar and his colleagues. Özvar emphasized that MAKÜ's approach, which acts together with the local people, is noteworthy for establishing direct contact with the field in terms of education, management, and R&D dimensions. 

Speaking at the ceremony, MAKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Dalgar evaluated the cooperation protocol as a strategic direction for Turkey in terms of food security, productivity increase, and production capacity. Dalgar underlined that global food demand will increase by 13% in the next decade, and a 15% productivity leap is needed to meet this increase. 

Dalgar also drew attention to the transformation in the human resource structure in agriculture, stating that the average age of farmers has risen to 59, and therefore agriculture needs to be transformed into a strong career field for young people. 

Dalgar expressed that MAKÜ assumes the responsibility of being one of the carrying institutions in this transformation in the field, and noted that the university stands out with its embryo production and genetic improvement studies, smart barn systems, artificial intelligence-based animal identification solutions, smart irrigation applications, and agricultural technology projects. 

Within the program, YÖK President Özvar visited Rector Dalgar in his office and received information about the university's activities. Özvar later conducted inspections at the MAKÜ farm and the autonomous farm area being established within the campus.

The project aims to establish a strong cooperation network between universities, the public, and the private sector; to direct young people towards technology-supported agriculture and livestock, to increase productivity in production, and to strengthen Turkey's food security.