Türkiye’s Council of Higher Education (YÖK) is expanding its Digital University Platform to offer free online training across 16 modules covering artificial intelligence (AI), data analysis, sustainable finance and clean energy technologies.
According to a statement from YÖK, the program is returning this year with an expanded curriculum after attracting more than 135,000 applications last year, with over 30,000 participants continuing their education.
The platform will operate under three schools, the AI School, the Data Analysis School and the newly introduced Green Transformation and Sustainability School.
Bogazici University, Middle East Technical University, Istanbul Technical University, Marmara University and Yildiz Technical University will contribute academic expertise to the program, giving participants opportunities to develop skills across different disciplines.
The AI School will offer three modules covering machine learning, productivity tools and modern software development.
The machine learning module will cover neural networks, deep learning, transformer architecture and reinforcement learning.
The productivity tools module will teach participants how to use generative AI tools, including ChatGPT and Claude, for academic research, data analysis, text processing and content creation.
The modern software development module will focus on AI-assisted coding, software development processes, testing methods and software architecture.
7 modules focus on data analysis
The Data Analysis School will offer seven modules covering basic statistics, panel data, computational social sciences, digital humanities, psychometrics, biostatistics and data analytics.
The basic statistics module will cover data organization, hypothesis testing and regression analysis, while the panel data module will teach econometric analysis using the R programming language.
Computational social sciences training will focus on examining social phenomena through text mining, natural language processing, network analysis and geographic information systems.
The digital humanities module will explore the use of digital tools in historical, literary and cultural research. Psychometrics training will cover scale development, reliability and validity analysis, while biostatistics will focus on statistical methods used in health research.
The data analytics module will include data visualization, machine learning, classification, anomaly detection and explainable AI.
The newly introduced Green Transformation and Sustainability School will provide training through six modules addressing climate change, corporate sustainability, environmental sustainability, the circular economy and sustainable finance, social sustainability, and clean energy technologies.
The climate change and global policies module will examine international climate agreements, emissions reduction and climate policies. Corporate sustainability training will focus on companies' sustainability strategies and reporting standards.
Environmental sustainability courses will cover carbon and water footprints, resource efficiency and waste management.
The circular economy and sustainable finance module will address efficient resource use and financing the green transition, while social sustainability training will examine equality, inclusion and a just transition.
The clean energy technologies module will cover hydrogen production and storage, renewable energy sources, energy storage systems and clean energy applications.
Applicants aged 18 and older can enroll in the free online program and select up to two modules from different schools, provided their class schedules do not overlap.
Courses will begin Nov. 3, 2026, and run for approximately 24 weeks across two terms. The program will take a break from Jan. 23 to Feb. 28, 2027, with classes scheduled to conclude on June 4, 2027. Applications can be submitted through the platform's official website until Oct. 26.