Applications opened on September 8, 2026 for Türkiye's Strategic Technology Human Resources Program, an initiative coordinated by the Council of Higher Education, or YÖK. Candidates can apply until September 22 through YÖK's online application system for doctoral programs in priority fields. The program aims to train 550 researchers in its first year and approximately 3,000 over five years.
Four strategic technology fields
The first-year places are grouped under Information Technologies, Hardware and Computer Systems, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Systems. Successful candidates are expected to continue doctoral study at research universities while being employed as research assistants under the relevant rules. The model is designed to combine postgraduate education, academic employment and scientific research within one structure.
YÖK says the program is intended to strengthen Türkiye's long-term research capacity in critical technologies. Another stated objective is to support the conversion of university knowledge into technology, products, patents and economic value. These are official program goals rather than completed outcomes; measurable results will become clearer after selection, placement and research activity begin.
Applicants can come from different disciplines
Eligibility is not limited to computer science or software graduates. Candidates from several engineering fields, mathematics, statistics, medicine, law and other disciplines may apply when they meet the conditions of the announced doctoral program. The exact relationship between previous education and each available place is defined in the official application system, so applicants need to check the listed requirements rather than rely on the broad field descriptions alone.
An integrated doctoral route is also available for eligible bachelor's degree holders. This route allows a student to begin doctoral-level education without first completing a separate thesis-based master's program. Admission standards and available places can vary by program, and the official YÖK notice remains the controlling source for those details.
Five choices and a central examination
Applicants may submit a total of five preferences across no more than two different fields. A central written examination is scheduled to be administered by ÖSYM on November 28, 2026. YÖK's official channels provide the application conditions, quotas, preference rules and evaluation process. Candidates should also use those channels to check for any later change to dates or requirements.
The initiative had been announced before the application window opened. Earlier information set out the target of selecting 550 doctoral students through a central process and placing them at research universities. The fresh development is that the planned model moved into its active application phase on September 8. That distinction keeps the report focused on a development within the latest 48-hour news window rather than repeating the earlier announcement.
The opening of applications gives prospective researchers a defined timetable for considering the program. Its eventual performance cannot be determined from the intake target alone. Future assessment will depend on the selection process, doctoral training, research output and the contribution of participants to the country's science and technology ecosystem. For now, the verified facts are the September 8–22 application window, the four priority fields, the target of 550 first-year researchers, the five-year goal of about 3,000 and the planned November 28 examination.
