Türkiye’s flagship Data Analysis School, launched as part of the country’s broader digital transformation strategy, has earned international recognition after achieving unprecedented levels of engagement and participation.

Erol Özvar, Chairman of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), announced that the program received more than 135,000 applications from within Türkiye and abroad, marking the initiative as a rising global model in digital education. “Maintaining a daily participation rate of 30,000 for eight consecutive weeks demonstrates the program’s sustainability and impact,” Özvar said.

Özvar also shared insights from the project’s technical development phase, noting discussions held with officials from a major global online education platform. According to their remarks, no comparable online, interactive education infrastructure with such high participation currently exists worldwide. He emphasized that the system used for the Data Analysis School was specifically designed to support such large-scale engagement.

Designed to help close Türkiye’s digital skills gap, the school functions not only as an academic training program but also as a major public initiative drawing interest across multiple sectors. Although entirely free, the sole requirement for participants is consistent attendance. Özvar highlighted the diversity of the audience, noting that senior executives from banking, commerce, industry, and healthcare sectors have joined students in taking part. This broad participation shows that the project responds to the evolving digital transformation needs of both the workforce and professional fields.

The program’s success has already begun to expand internationally. Özvar revealed that several countries have expressed interest in implementing similar models, and efforts are underway to introduce the framework abroad. He stated that such initiatives would significantly contribute to employment, innovation, and digital development. Calling on universities to support public-oriented digital training programs, he added, “Universities are the key institutions to close the digital skills gap in Türkiye.”

Coordinated by Marmara University, with participation from Boğaziçi University, Middle East Technical University (METU), and Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ), the Data Analysis School delivers an intensive curriculum spanning 27 weeks, 93 courses, and 284 hours of instruction. The program features seven advanced modules taught by leading experts, covering artificial intelligence, basic statistics, panel data analysis, psychometrics, computational social sciences, digital skills, and AI-powered digital tools.

As demand for digital literacy accelerates globally, Türkiye’s Data Analysis School is emerging as a pioneering model that blends accessibility, scale, and high-level instruction—positioning the country as a significant contributor to the future of digital talent development. (ILKHA)