The Bologna Process is a reform process in education; a number of international institutes and 47 countries are cooperating in this process. The important advantages of the Bologna process are as below:

• Outcome basic education,
• A more controllable and manageable education-training process,
• A balance between variety and unity in education,
• Transforming higher education systems into a form that not only protects their individual differences, but makes it possible to compare them and for them to work in harmony,
• Easing transition from one country or higher education system to another and thus ensuring circulation of academic staff and increasing employment opportunities,
• To transform higher education from the aspect of employment opportunity into a more desirable state, and to establish a shared degree system within the framework of qualifications, recognition, transparency and transferability.

The university has been accredited with two documents in the Bologna Process, DS label1 and ECTS label2 for a period of 4 years. While from 2009 51 universities in the world received DS and 22 received ECTS labels, in 2010 this number was 55 DS and 6 ECTS labels. In this difficult process our university has made a historical feat by receiving the DS label in 2010; a great honor that is reflected on all the members of the institute.

I congratulate all the academic and administrative staff who made valuable contributions to receiving this award; our next goal is the application we made on 15 January, 2011 for the ECTS label. I am sure that with your support and efforts that we will also be awarded this label.

Dr. M. Zafer GÜL
Rector

[1] DS Label: Diploma Supplement Label
[2] ECTS Label: European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System Label