AI, tech programs top university choices

This photo shows the entrance of Istanbul University in the Fatih district.

Turkish candidates will prioritize artificial intelligence and digital technology programs when the national university placement period begins tomorrow, following centralized exam results.

Students use their scores from the Higher Education Institutions Examination (YKS) —Türkiye’s nationwide university entrance exam taken annually by millions of high school graduates — to enter rapidly developing fields like AI engineering, cybersecurity, big data analytics, digital transformation electronics, electronics and automation, and air conditioning and refrigeration technologies.

The Higher Education Board (YÖK) opened 81 informatics programs over three years, adding 16 this year, including history and AI, philosophy and AI, biotechnology and genetics, digital game technologies and mobile security technologies.

Artificial Intelligence Policies Association (AIPA) Head Zafer Küçükşabanoğlu said AI automates routines and generates unprecedented professions. Türkiye can become a regional hub through its engineering infrastructure, startups and youth, he said.

Citing the Industry and Technology Ministry’s National AI Action Plan, he said AI provides advantages for doctors, lawyers, teachers, journalists, diplomats, finance experts and public administrators.

AI’s link to space technologies, climate change and work-life requires sociologists, psychologists and behavioral scientists, while lawyers, political scientists, international relations experts and public administrators must ensure safe AI development, he said.

He advised pursuing international certificates, open-source projects and internships to boost project experience, AI use, languages and adaptability.

Software Developers Federation of Türkiye (TÜYAFED) Chairman Mustafa Çalış said AI transforms health, defense, finance, agriculture, production and education, placing youth in strategic roles for 10 to 20 years. Banks, defense, automotive firms, healthcare, energy and public institutions seek experts, he said.

Machine learning, cybersecurity, robotics, autonomous systems, data science, big data analytics, AI-supported software, cloud computing, health, defense technologies, FinTech and smart production systems will stand out, he said.

Success requires math, foreign languages, analytical thinking and continuous learning, Çalış said.