The Advisory Board Meeting of Çaycuma Vocational School (VS) and Çaycuma Vocational School of Food and Agriculture, operating under Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University (BEUN), was held at the Çaycuma Campus.
AK Party Zonguldak Deputy Ahmet Çolakoğlu, BEUN Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer, Çaycuma District Governor Adem Kaya, Mayor of Çaycuma Bülent Kantarcı, Director of Çaycuma VS Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mustafa Zor, Director of Çaycuma VS of Food and Agriculture Asst. Prof. Deniz Karaelmas, Çaycuma District Director of National Education Ayhan Alagöz, District Director of Agriculture and Forestry Rıfat Verim, President of the Chamber of Agriculture Rıza Çapkın, Zonguldak Provincial Representative of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) Food Engineers Chamber Tuğrul Dereli, President of the Association for the Support of Higher Education Institutions in Çaycuma Hayri Kandemir, AK Party Çaycuma District Chairman Birol Yiğit, as well as vice directors and department heads attended the meeting.
In his speech, AK Party Zonguldak Deputy Ahmet Çolakoğlu emphasized that the vocational schools within the university make significant contributions to the social and cultural life of Çaycuma, stating: “Together with all our stakeholders, we make every effort to provide students coming from different regions of Türkiye with every possible opportunity. Through this meeting, we discuss areas for improvement in order to promote Zonguldak and Çaycuma in the best possible way and to create a more qualified educational and living environment for our students, and we make joint decisions on the steps to be taken.”
BEUN Rector Prof. Dr. İsmail Hakkı Özölçer highlighted that the Çaycuma Campus is one of the university’s campuses with the highest student population and noted that the specific departments and programs offered on the campus contribute to shaping the Century of Türkiye vision. He underlined that universities assume significant responsibilities not only through education and research activities but also through their structures integrated with society. He emphasized that strong communication with public institutions, local administrations, and NGOs plays a vital role in developing sustainable projects.
Rector Özölçer also referred to the physical and technical infrastructure improvements carried out at the Çaycuma Campus, noting that exterior painting works have been completed; study halls and the library have been renovated; new classrooms have been opened; the cafeteria has been refurbished and put into service for students; and campus bus stops have been modernized. He also stated that long-standing heating issues have been resolved through the implemented improvements.
At the end of his speech, Rector Özölçer expressed his gratitude to Deputy Ahmet Çolakoğlu for his support and thanked the advisory board members, as well as all public institutions, local administrations, and sector representatives for their contributions to the university.
During the meeting, the agenda items of Çaycuma Vocational School were evaluated. The programs offered at the school, its academic and administrative staff structure, technical infrastructure, and social facilities were discussed. External stakeholders were informed about the Offshore Technologies Center, with emphasis placed on its contributions to Türkiye’s national energy initiative. The center’s contributions to education and training activities and to regional industry were assessed, while issues such as strengthening university–industry collaboration, increasing internship and post-graduation employment opportunities, newly planned programs, and quality and accreditation processes were discussed. The importance of the active participation of advisory board members and external stakeholders in these processes was emphasized.
The meeting continued with the agenda items of Çaycuma Vocational School of Food and Agriculture. Comprehensive information was provided regarding the programs offered, occupancy rates, academic and administrative staff structure, as well as technical infrastructure and social facilities. Potential new departments and programs to be opened in line with external stakeholder demands were discussed. Additionally, increasing conferences and seminars with sector representatives, protocols to strengthen industry collaboration, technical visits, and joint projects were evaluated. Information was also shared regarding promotional activities at secondary education institutions, improving students’ internship and employment opportunities, and YÖKAK and MEDEK accreditation processes. Possible collaborations with the Chamber of Agriculture and the District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry were also among the key topics addressed.
The meeting concluded with the sharing of opinions and recommendations aimed at strengthening the vocational schools, followed by a group photo session.
