In 2025, our University provided free or open access to a range of physical and digital educational resources that could also be used by individuals who were not enrolled as students, in line with its approach to lifelong learning and the dissemination of knowledge to society. This approach was not limited to individual events, but was supported by our University’s institutional policies, library infrastructure, open-access system, continuing education activities, and public science communication channels. Our University’s Lifelong Learning Access Policy supports access to educational and professional development opportunities regardless of age, background, or employment status, and institutionally promotes lifelong learning programmes, open educational resources, and distance learning platforms.
One of the most important physical educational resources within this framework is the Faik Ahmet Barutçu Library. Our University’s institutional sustainability webpage clearly states that the library serves not only students and academic staff but also the general public as an open information centre. It is also stated that independent study areas are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, enabling users to continue their research, study, and individual learning activities. The physical infrastructure supporting this access in 2025 is also documented in the 2025 Unit Activity Report of the Department of Library and Documentation. According to the report, the library has 13 separate service and study areas covering 4,140 m², with a total capacity of 1,067 users. These include independent study halls, an Information Retrieval Room, a reference hall, a periodicals room, a thesis room, and an accessible study room for individuals with disabilities. The report also clearly states that the entrances to two independent study halls are accessible from outside the main library building and that these areas are open to readers 24/7.
Evidence:
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/library
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/library/calismasaatleri
The library does not only provide physical study space, but also supports online access to information. The 2025 activity report states that users can access bibliographic information relating to the library collection via the website without physically visiting the library, and that this service is available to “all user groups with online access.” In addition, our University’s Institutional Open Archive preserves academic and scientific publications in digital form and makes them publicly available within the framework of copyright and Creative Commons permissions. This enables researchers, students, teachers, professionals, and other members of society who are not affiliated with our University to benefit from permitted scientific publications online.
Evidence:
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/dosyalar/library_eyVC3.pdf
https://avesis.ktu.edu.tr/kurumsal-acik-arsiv/afcea8fc-51c7-4c55-bcaf-a316a8613eb1/avesis-acik-erisim-koleksiyonu
Another key institutional structure addressing society’s lifelong learning needs is the Continuing Education Application and Research Centre (KTÜ-SEM). The Centre states that it conducts its activities based on the principle of “lifelong learning” and provides educational programmes, seminars, conferences, workshops, and consultancy activities for the benefit of society. Individuals from outside the University are able to apply for its training programmes, and programmes are also developed in response to the educational needs of public and private sector organisations. Our University’s sustainability webpage also states that KTÜ-SEM opens its educational opportunities to “all segments of society” and provides professional development, technical training, and personal development programmes for both internal and external participants.
Evidence:
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/sem
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/sem/duyuru/egitim-programlarimiza-basvuru-hakkinda
This approach was put into practice in 2025 through free educational activities. For example, the “Official Correspondence Techniques” training organised by KTÜ-SEM was held online on 11 June 2025, and the University’s official announcement explicitly stated that the training was “free and online” and that pre-registration remained open. Similarly, the ISO 9001 Quality Management System Information Training held on 22 May 2025 was listed in the University’s 2025 event calendar as a free, online training programme with an e-Government certificate. Therefore, there is direct evidence that individuals from outside the University were able to benefit from institutionally organised free online educational activities in 2025.
Evidence:
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/sem/duyuru/resmi-yazisma-teknikleri-egitimi-ertelendi
Evidence:
https://ktu.edu.tr/sem/etkinlik/iso-9001-kalite-yonetim-sistemi-bilgilendirme-egitimi
The actual participation of individuals from outside the University in lifelong learning activities is also confirmed through institutional performance data. According to the 2025 First Six-Month Strategic Plan Monitoring Results, the indicator entitled “Number of external participants in certification training programmes organised by University units (SEM, UZEM, School of Foreign Languages, etc.)” had a 2025 target of 200 participants. However, during the first six months of the year alone, 220 external participants had already been reached, corresponding to 100% performance achievement for this indicator. The same report also states that, against a 2025 target of 370 activities aimed at disseminating knowledge to society—including symposia, workshops, exhibitions, conferences, TV and radio programmes, seminars, and public information activities—a total of 702 activities had already been recorded during the first six months of the year. These figures demonstrate that the participation of individuals from outside the University in educational activities was not merely a policy statement, but an implemented practice that was measured and monitored as an institutional performance indicator in 2025.
Evidence:
https://www.ktu.edu.tr/dosyalar/yonetim_y7lmj.pdf
Our University also disseminates scientific and educational content to the wider public through KTÜ Radio/TV. KTÜ TV broadcasts via YouTube, an openly accessible online platform, and produces programmes, interviews, and informative content on issues relevant to both internal and external stakeholders. During 2025, numerous live broadcasts with scientific and social content were delivered, including “Healthy Nutrition and an Active Lifestyle,” “The Role of Pharmacists in Healthcare Services,” “The Mysterious World of Fungi,” and “Communicable Diseases and Prevention in Communal Living Areas.” As access to these contents does not require student status or University affiliation, they demonstrate that our University also uses free, publicly accessible knowledge-sharing channels outside the classroom as part of its lifelong learning approach.
Evidence:
https://ktu.edu.tr/radyotv/etkinlikler
In conclusion, in 2025 our University adopted a lifelong learning approach that extended beyond its enrolled students and made educational resources available to society through publicly accessible library and study areas, an online catalogue and open-access academic repository, free online training programmes, continuing education activities open to external participants, and publicly accessible scientific Radio/TV broadcasts.
