On June 11, 2025, Prof. Dr. Ali Bayrakdaroğlu, Board Advisor of STAR, Turkey’s leading accreditation institution, and YÖKAK Auditor, delivered a seminar titled “Institutional and Program Accreditation: Criteria and Applications” upon the invitation of Final International University. Bayrakdaroğlu, who represents STAR, which accredits programs in Business, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Basic Sciences, drew significant interest from faculty members, administrators, quality commission members, and students across various academic units of the university.

The opening speech was delivered by Prof. Dr. Hasan Ali Bıçak, Board of Trustees Advisor for Quality, Assurance, and Accreditation at the university. Bıçak emphasized the importance of quality assurance in higher education, highlighted the critical role of accreditation processes in institutional development, and shared key messages with the participants.

Following this, Prof. Dr. Ali Bayrakdaroğlu, Rector’s Advisor for Institutional Accreditation at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University and Board Advisor of STAR Accreditation, provided a detailed overview of the evolution of accreditation systems in Turkey and worldwide, the role of YÖKAK, and the structure and practical applications of institutional and program-level criteria.

The presentation explained the evaluation system covering four key accreditation areas—leadership and management, education, research, and societal contribution—with illustrative examples. Participants gained comprehensive insights into interpreting and assessing criteria within the context of program accreditation.

The event concluded with an interactive Q&A session, where attendees had the opportunity to ask questions about quality and accreditation efforts at their universities and discuss solution-oriented approaches to challenges in implementation.