Stakeholder Analysis and Institutional Context

1. Institutional Context

The University identifies, monitors and analyses the internal and external issues that may affect the ability of the quality management system to achieve its intended results, and reviews their suitability periodically. The organisational context is defined by taking into account the University’s strategic direction, scope of activities, institutional memory, organisational structure, core values, internal and external factors, legal and regulatory requirements and the needs and expectations of interested parties (Quality Manual, 4.1).

Internal Issues

HKU values and culture
Mission, vision and policies
Technological infrastructure
Organisational structure
Accreditation and diploma
Quality education and R&D infrastructure
Stakeholder expectations

External Issues

YÖK and YÖKAK legislation and quality assurance criteria
National and international accreditation requirements
Competitive conditions and quota policies in higher education
Economic indicators
Technological developments and digitalisation
Demographic structure and changes in the student profile
Regional location and international student mobility
Labour market expectations
Disasters and emergencies

Internal and external issues are determined on the basis of strategic plan work, SWOT analysis, risk and opportunity assessments, performance indicators, internal audit results, Management Review outputs and changes in legislation. The organisational context is reviewed during strategic planning, when organisational changes occur and at least once a year at Management Review meetings; the outputs of the context analysis feed into process planning, the identification of risks and opportunities, performance monitoring and continuous improvement.

The scope of the Quality Management System is defined as “Higher Education Services”. A SWOT analysis is carried out every five years under the chairmanship of the Rectorate, coordinated by the Directorate of Strategy and Quality and with the participation of internal and external stakeholders; the five-year Strategic Plan is prepared on the basis of this analysis.

2. Strategic Plan 2023–2027: Vision, Mission and Strategic Aims

Vision: The vision of Hasan Kalyoncu University is to be an applied research university that, through its innovations, rebuilds the future of individuals, industry, the region and society.

Mission: The mission of Hasan Kalyoncu University is to raise entrepreneurial individuals through “personalised education” by ensuring full integration with working life, and to carry out pioneering applied research that guides industry.

Strategic Aim	Objectives
A1 · Personalised and practice-oriented education	O1.1 To have expert, qualified and sufficient teaching staff · O1.2 To graduate students who know and can apply · O1.3 To ensure the continuous improvement of undergraduate and graduate programmes
A2 · Entrepreneurship and innovation based on applied research	O2.1 To improve entrepreneurial and innovative activities · O2.2 To increase integration with industry · O2.3 To strengthen research and development
A3 · Sustainability, art, culture and social contribution	O3.1 To integrate more with society · O3.2 To improve sustainability steps
A4 · Developing integrative institutional performance	O4.1 To develop institutional culture · O4.2 To develop university resources and infrastructure · O4.3 To improve internationalisation

3. Stakeholder Analysis Method

Within the 2023–2027 Strategic Plan work, a stakeholder analysis was carried out to take into account the views of the internal and external stakeholders with whom the University interacts and to increase their ownership of the plan. Before the workshops, stakeholders were prioritised according to their importance and influence; three workshops were held to gather their views:

Date	Activity
28.07.2022	At the Rector’s invitation, the Quality Commission held its first meeting on strategic plan preparations; the preparation process and timetable were set.
23–25.09.2022	Search Conference with the participation of staff at all levels and stakeholders of the University (internal and external stakeholders).
13.10.2022	Workshop with HKU students and graduates.
02.11.2022	Workshop with leading figures from industry and other key sectors.

The needs and expectations of internal stakeholders are assessed through satisfaction surveys, meetings, feedback mechanisms and other participation methods; those of external stakeholders are identified through stakeholder analyses during Strategic Plan preparation, search conferences, advisory board meetings, cooperation meetings and other feedback methods. The data obtained are analysed by the Directorate of Strategy and Quality, evaluated in the relevant boards and commissions and reviewed at regular intervals (Quality Manual, 4.2). Survey results are published on the Survey Results and Improvements page.

4. Internal and External Stakeholders

Stakeholder	Main Expectations	Feedback Method
Students	Quality, student-centred education, accessible advising, fair assessment, strong campus facilities	Satisfaction surveys, course evaluation surveys
Academic and administrative staff	Development opportunities, clear job descriptions, participatory management	Satisfaction surveys, boards and commissions, unit meetings
Graduates	Career support, alumni network, lifelong learning	Graduate satisfaction survey, Career Centre and alumni associations
Employers and industry	Competences aligned with the labour market, cooperation and project partnership	Advisory boards, protocols, employer feedback
YÖK / YÖKAK and public institutions	Compliance with legislation and with the Quality Management System	Official correspondence, KİDR, external evaluation processes
Suppliers	Regulations, timely payment, sustainable business relationship	Contracts, supplier evaluation
Society	Social contribution, knowledge sharing, social responsibility	Events, cooperation protocols, public communication

Source: Quality Manual (KEK-01 Rev. 03), 4.2.

Main Internal Stakeholders

Students
Academic staff
Administrative staff
Rectorate, academic and administrative units, coordinatorships
Application and research centres
Student Council and student clubs

Main External Stakeholders

Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and Higher Education Quality Council (YÖKAK)
Graduates
Employers and the private sector
Public institutions and local governments
Other universities and higher education institutions abroad
Accreditation bodies and the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE)
Turkish National Agency and project funding bodies (TÜBİTAK, EU)
Non-governmental organisations
Prospective students and schools
Suppliers

The external stakeholders who took part in the Strategic Plan work included universities, holding group companies, graduates, public bodies, local governments, media organisations, technology, chemical, defence and food companies, business associations, the Council of Higher Education, the development agency and representatives of the National Agency (Strategic Plan, p. 37).

5. Stakeholder Views (Strategic Plan 2023–2027)

Internal Stakeholders — Strengths

Openness of the academic staff to communication
Easy access to academics
Quality of the academic staff
Intensive efforts of teaching staff in internships and similar areas
Green campus
Interdisciplinary project competence

Internal Stakeholders — Areas for Improvement

Number and diversity of academics
Foreign language diversity and professional foreign language
Project-based work (EU-TÜBİTAK)
Development of double major programmes
Development of the mentoring system

External Stakeholders — Strengths

Presence of strong companies within the Technopark
The University’s contact with the business world
The University’s responsiveness to sector needs
The University’s activity across the region, not only the city
High recognition of the University

External Stakeholders — Areas for Improvement

Jointly training human resources for the needs of the Organised Industrial Zone
Jointly developing high value-added technologies not produced in Türkiye
Joint projects in fields such as the defence industry and biomedicine
More support for industry in Industry 4.0
Developing communication and dialogue between the Generation Z workforce and the sector

6. External Environment Analysis (PESTLE)

In the strategic plan work, the University’s position in national competition in areas such as the URAP ranking, student satisfaction and current expenditure per student was identified, and a PESTLE analysis was carried out in light of these data (Strategic Plan, pp. 54–58). Main findings:

Political: Joint projects with public institutions need to be increased to support regional development.
Economic: High inflation and exchange rate problems reduce income levels and purchasing power, affecting the preferences of students and parents; as income depends mainly on students, practices for alternative income models are needed.
Technological: The ARBİM, KALİTTO and Kalyon Garaj prototyping centres are strengths in technology; curricula need to be reviewed in light of new-generation technologies and investment in digital applications is required.
Environmental: Global sustainability problems place more responsibility on universities; the growing population in and around Gaziantep brings problems of construction and urbanisation.

7. SWOT Analysis

Strengths

High student satisfaction
Co-Op and multidisciplinary project approach
Competent distance education infrastructure
Being in the top 10 for graduate employment speed
Quick access to academic and administrative staff
Interdisciplinary project competence
Network strength and ecosystem integration
Green campus
Social awareness (e.g. Migration Research Centre, Children’s University, Mothers’ University, Mukhtars’ University)
Output- and product-oriented approach (e.g. Kalyon PV, KALİTTO, Incubation Centre and TTO)
Open campus
High scholarship rate

Weaknesses

Adapting digitalisation, virtual reality and augmented reality applications to education
Professional foreign language and diversity of foreign languages
Student-centred and personalised education
Increasing the number of accredited departments
Greater integration with industry (involving experienced professionals in courses)
Transdisciplinary-interdisciplinary research, projects and publications
Increasing project-based work (EU-TÜBİTAK)
Completing missing academic staff by field

Opportunities

Network of institutional partnerships
Increasing incentives for university-industry cooperation
The region’s demand for entrepreneurship and business
Small number of competitors
University-city cooperation
Intense migration to the region
Being the first foundation university in the region
High educational needs of the region
Absence of competing graduate programmes
Increase in international students due to migration

Threats

Economic crisis in Türkiye and the world
Geopolitical position of the region
Increase in undergraduate capacity in Türkiye
Increase in state university quotas
Shortage of qualified and international teaching staff
Growing competition among foundation universities
Continuous increases in student quotas by YÖK

Threats and weaknesses identified through the SWOT analysis are treated as risks and reflected in the risk analyses of the relevant units; strengths and opportunities are defined in the strategic plan (Quality Manual, 6.1). Risk and Opportunity Management ›

8. Stakeholder Participation Mechanisms

Advisory Board: The University Advisory Board, chaired by the Rector, consists of public institutions, the private sector, non-governmental organisations, professional bodies, international organisations and experts in their fields, and holds an ordinary meeting once a year; department advisory boards also meet once a year. The University’s External Advisory Board held its 2024 meeting on 17.12.2024. Advisory Board ›
Satisfaction surveys: Student and staff satisfaction is measured and the results are evaluated through the PDCA cycle. Survey Results ›
Student participation: There is a Student Quality Commission with students from faculties and departments. Student Quality Representatives ›
Management Review: The Management Review meeting of 07.07.2026 addressed sharing student satisfaction results with internal and external stakeholders and evaluating an update of the External Advisory Board structure. Decisions ›