The Higher Education Reform in Turkey and the History of Industry-University Relations in the United States

This article investigates the historical transformation of the U.S. academia and presents a critical assessment of the Council of Higher Education’s (YÖK) plans for the higher education reform in Turkey. The argument is that the structure of the U.S. academia has been formed in the long-run and through various eclectic processes. Thus, the related practices in the United States cannot be taken as a guide for the soughtfor reform in Turkey. The article supports this argument with a presentation of the studies on the history of higher education in the United States and uses the available data about the relationship between industry and academia in order to investigate Turkey’s current needs concerning its higher education structure.