Participants who successfully complete eligible certificate programs offered by university Continuing Education Centers from Oct. 1, 2026, will receive certificates issued centrally by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) through Türkiye's e-Government portal, marking the first time such credentials will be digitally verified under a nationwide system.
According to a statement released by YÖK on Monday, the new practice is part of broader reforms aimed at strengthening quality assurance in lifelong learning and establishing a more standardized and reliable certification system across higher education institutions.
Under the new framework, certificate programs will be evaluated against common quality standards, while those meeting the required criteria will be eligible to align with the micro-credentials approach, further integrating short-term learning into the higher education system.
As a result, quality assurance in higher education will become more integrated, bridging degree programs and short-term lifelong learning courses.
In a letter sent to universities last week, YÖK announced that all Continuing Education Center certificate programs launched from Oct. 1, 2026, will be subject to its evaluation.
