Within the scope of the national accreditation process carried out by the Association for the Evaluation and Accreditation of Educational Institutions and Programs of Veterinary Medicine (VEDEK), our university's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine hosted the main evaluation visit between May 12–16, 2025.
During the five-day visit, the evaluation team conducted a comprehensive review of the Faculty’s activities in various areas including education and training, research, physical infrastructure, academic and administrative staff structure, quality assurance, biosafety, financial management, curriculum, learning resources, student assessment, postgraduate education, and societal contribution. Numerous meetings were held with academic and administrative staff, undergraduate and postgraduate students, alumni, professional organizations, and representatives from public and private sectors. The evaluation team also carried out on-site observations of the animal hospital units, laboratories, farm training areas, experimental animal production and research center, student communities, classrooms, and central facilities.
As part of the accreditation process, which covers 10 standards, the evaluation team assigned by VEDEK included the following members: Team Leader Prof. Dr. Halis Uğuz (Selçuk University), Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nigâr Yerlikaya Topsakal (Ankara University), Student Evaluator Res. Asst. Şükrü Orkan, Farm Animal Clinical Sciences Evaluator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sevim Kasap and Small Animal Clinical Sciences Evaluator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Deniz Dinçel (Bursa Uludağ University), Pet and Food Safety Quality Evaluator Dr. Erdi Şen (Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University), Quality Assurance Evaluator Prof. Dr. Akın Yakan (Hatay Mustafa Kemal University), and Farm Animal Evaluator Dr. Müjgan Çevik Aksay (Istanbul).
As part of the program, the evaluation team also visited several external stakeholders collaborating with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. These included the Agricultural Faculty Farm of our university, Arif Gürdal Dairy Farm, Ege Et Inc. Çine Facilities, Uludağ Meat Integrated Facility, Turkish Jockey Club Izmir Equine Hospital, and Izmir PAKO Animal Shelter.
A meeting was held with the participation of the Rector of our University, Prof. Dr. Bülent Kent, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Cengiz Özarslan, and the Faculty Administration to exchange views on the evaluation process.
On the final day of the visit, the evaluation team delivered an exit presentation in which they shared their preliminary observations and assessments regarding the Faculty's strengths and areas for improvement. Acting Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Prof. Dr. Cavit Kum, stated: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to the evaluation team and, especially to our University Rector Prof. Dr. Bülent Kent and our Vice Rectors for their support throughout this important process. I am also grateful to our Accreditation Committee, and to all academic and administrative staff and students who actively contributed to the visit.”
Our university's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was accepted as a VEDEK member in 2016 and received national accreditation approval in the same year, becoming one of the first veterinary faculties in Türkiye to be accredited. In 2025, the Faculty entered its second main evaluation process, continuing its institutional development in line with the principles of quality assurance and continuous improvement.
Additionally, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was granted international accreditation by the European Association of Establishments for Veterinary Education (EAEVE) in 2015. Following the second full visitation in 2021, the Faculty received the status of “Fully Accredited Faculty” at the end of 2023, thereby officially confirming its education quality at the international level.
