In this section, our basic strategies, which are necessary to realize the priorities of our university, are discussed in four sections. These are research, education, participation orientation, and staff capacity.

Research

Uşak University carries out joint studies with many international institutions through its research. Among these universities, there are also institutions with high international recognition. Uşak University, which is among the top 10 universities in the academic incentive ranking valid in Turkey, is on the way to becoming one of the rising star universities in our country, which has proven its academic competence and competence. Supporting academic research with Scientific Research Projects and Tubitak projects, our university presents its intention to specialize in the fields of "Leather, Ceramics, and Textile" within the framework of the mission given by our President. In order to carry this intention to a higher level and enter a serious specialization process, our universities continue their efforts to increase both the national recognition and prestige of the sector and international recognition by giving maximum support to the studies carried out in the fields of specialization.

Education

The education concept discussed in this section is addressed to the Leather, Textile, and Ceramic units, which are among the specialization areas of Uşak University. In this context, a holistic point of view is followed and educational issues in the fields of specialization are mentioned.

Universities are universal educational institutions that reveal the innovations needed by society and make an industrial difference with their studies. Therefore, universities consider education as an important priority in order to transfer this point of view, which they have adopted as a mission, to future generations and to take existing opportunities to higher levels. Uşak University acts to be at the forefront of our country as a universal educational institution that captures and directs modern life in the fields of Leather, Textile, and Ceramics by combining education with its current specialization mission. The most important reason for this is the increasing level of competition in the Leather, Textile and Ceramics sectors in Turkey and the varying competition conditions. As an example of these competitive conditions, the ready-made clothing industry, which is a branch of the textile sector, can be given as an example; because ready-made clothing, which is one of the important export items of Turkey, competes with the brands and products of other countries. As can be understood from this example, competition can be between countries. In addition, it is possible to talk about competition at national, regional, and local levels. This situation reveals a spiral of competition and education comes to the fore as one of the strategies that will provide superiority in a situation with high competition conditions.

The effects to be created in the field of education can be through the discovery, support, and development of talents, especially in the fields of art and design. These conditions are a strategy that should be adopted in order to be at the forefront of competing countries. Therefore, Uşak University, in the fields of art and design in our country, is in line with the needs of the society and the sector; comprehending the art of fashion, gaining skills in the field of fashion design; Unique and innovative designs that are specialized in fashion production and management, can design products based on education and research, can transform thought into a model with scientific and aesthetic criteria, are equipped with computer and informatics technologies in fashion design, follow the latest innovations in the field, can transform the knowledge they have learned theory into practice in the sector. As an important training strategy, it considers raising qualified human resources who can be a leader, has high self-confidence, and make a difference in the institution they work with. The realization of such a strategy will only be possible with the support of university-industry cooperation, scientific and technological development, academicians, and government grants for the aforementioned fields.

In 1993, the Department of Textile Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering of Afyon Kocatepe University and the Leather and Textile Programs in Uşak Vocational School started education and training life. In 1998, the Uşak and Ulubey Vocational Schools of the Leather Apparel Program started to meet the qualified personnel needs of the leather, textile, and fashion sectors, which have an important place in the economy of our country and Uşak. With the Uşak University, which was established in 2006, the departments that continue their education life have become even stronger with the participation of new academicians in the fields of leather, textile, and fashion design in the following years.

In 2014-2015, the Faculty of Fine Arts Fashion Design Program started education. Leather technology and leather garment production training started to take place in the course contents of the fashion design program. This program explores tradition and products with artistic value for leather, can create new designs, can use today's technical and technological tools, and ensures the continuity of design, pattern, and sewing techniques; At the same time, it aims to train professionals who can create new designs, recognizes different materials and create new works by using them, know traditional and contemporary art approaches, gains lifelong learning ability, and have teamwork awareness. The studies carried out in the leather design and leather garment production courses in the fashion design program of the Faculty of Fine Arts have been advanced in cooperation with the sector and production has begun. The opening of the Fashion Design Department in Karahallı Vocational School in 2017 will make an additional contribution to our university in terms of providing qualified personnel and specialization in the sector.

The province of Uşak plays a major role in the position of Turkey, which is one of the most important producers of the world in production of ceramic tile materials. Our university established the Ceramics Department within the Faculty of Fine Arts in 2008 in order to ensure the spread of ceramic art and industry by taking into account the economic and cultural structure of the region.

In addition to her undergraduate education at the Uşak University Faculty of Fine Arts Ceramics Department, she continues her Master's Degree in Ceramics under the Social Sciences Institute and trains a significant resource of qualified personnel for the ceramics industry. In addition, the Ceramic Research and Application Center became operational within the scope of our university's Regional Development-Oriented Mission Differentiation and Specialization themed program.

In addition to the current educational activities of our university, the steps are taken to ensure university-industry cooperation require the transfer of education to the industry at the same time. The most important reason for this is the fact that increasing the international competitiveness of the industry in the fields of specialization can only be achieved by making use of the theoretical and basic knowledge of the university; Because improving product quality and developing new products and production processes are industrial goals that can be achieved with academic knowledge in universities. The following activities were carried out by our university by making use of such information.

i) The Leather Application and Research Center was established in 2007 in order to solve the problems of the leather industry. The center's activities include carrying out applied research and development projects, providing accredited laboratory services, solving problems related to field service, providing in-service training and consultancy support to sector employees, cooperating with relevant institutions, publishing scientific and technical publications, congresses, seminars, conferences, and conferences. to organize similar programs and to carry out studies to increase the quality of vocational education. Our center prepared together with Uşak University, Uşak Leather Industrialists Association, Uşak Leather (Mixed) Organized Industrial Zone, and Uşak Tanners Chamber of Craftsmen, in order to meet the professional and social needs of the leather industry and to help the development and progress of this industry, and financial support by Zafer Development Agency. Alan established the Uşak University Leather Application and Research Center Quality Control Laboratory with the project named “University and Leather Industry Collaboration”. In our laboratory, which started serving in 2012, the academicians carry out their academic studies and R&D activities, while physical tests and chemical analyzes are carried out in line with the demands of the industrialists operating both in the region and outside the region.

ii) As a Textile Engineering department; It is our duty to train textile engineers who are in line with the expectations of the textile industry, are open to innovation and continuous development, have the necessary solid infrastructure to identify and solve engineering problems, and are aware of their responsibilities towards humanity and the environment. It has made an effort to make significant contributions to textile engineering education and literature with original research at the national and international levels in order to meet the needs of the industry and society. The department has very good laboratory and workshop conditions in terms of infrastructure facilities, and these facilities are being expanded with in-department projects. In recent years, with the acceleration of the structuring of our university, two new laboratories, and two new workshops were established for our department, and the Uşak University Scientific Analysis and Technological Application and Research Center, the majority of which consisted of textile laboratories, became operational.

iii) In the Ceramics Department, technical application methods are taught in addition to theoretical knowledge in artistic, industrial, and ceramic technology branches. It aims to reveal the talents of students, who are encouraged to do research on various materials and to produce original works of art and projects. Students who graduate from the ceramics department can work in all kinds of production and design fields of the ceramic industry, as well as in ceramic workshops of private and public institutions, computer-aided design and product development units, and academic and art education programs. Considering the existence of the ceramic industry producing ceramic tile in Uşak, we have been working at Uşak University Faculty of Fine Arts and Ceramics Department since 2010 in order to support the industry, focus on two-dimensional ceramic surface designs, and increase the recognition of our university and our city nationally and internationally. It organizes "Young Ceramicists Tile Contest with International Participation". Our university, which continues its journey with the slogan of being a respected university in the light of reason and science, continues to give importance to art and artists. With this event, we are constantly exhibiting the works of Turkish and foreign young artists on the "Monument Walls" that we created on the campus of our University, and we aim to pass them on to new generations. With the participation of domestic and foreign university students, cultural sharing has increased, and young artist and designer candidates continue to be supported.

Participation Orientation

In the fields of Leather, Textile, and Ceramics of our university, how students and academicians participate in university-industry cooperation, and the opportunities provided by our university, in general, are stated below under the principle of "Participation Orientation".

i) With the protocol signed between the Uşak Organized Industrial Zone and our University within the scope of University-Industry Cooperation, as of the 2012-2013 academic year, senior undergraduate students have been provided with internships in textile companies operating in the Uşak Organized Industrial Zone one day a week. This applied training is aimed to reinforce the theoretical knowledge of the students and adapt them to business life. The fact that many industrial organizations operating in the field of textiles in the Organized Industrial Zone took part in this cooperation and that some of the graduates had the opportunity to work in these companies ensured the success of this practice. Graduates of our department, especially in the industry of Uşak, Istanbul, Izmir, Bursa, Denizli, etc. It is recruited in very good positions by many important private companies operating in the fields of yarn, weaving, knitting, finishing, dyeing-printing, apparel, and marketing located in industrial zones in provinces such as.

ii) Uşak University Fashion Design Department, which was opened in the 2014-2015 academic year, started a production process in which the design and pattern work is done by the students, and the industrialists support the leather material supply and production process. This study was carried out within the scope of University-Industry Cooperation, it aimed to eliminate the deficiencies of the sector in mold and design, reinforce the practices of the students, and improve the production activities by eliminating the theoretical deficiencies of the industry. It is aimed to recruit expert technicians from the sector within the body of Uşak University in order to develop industrial cooperation and to reach further levels of these activities.

iii) Ceramics Department has started to bring students together with the ceramic industry in the region as of the 2008-2009 academic year. During the education process, students' internships of 30 working days are mainly carried out in Seranova Seramik, Hitit Seramik, and Uşak Seramik in our city, and students are given the opportunity to experience all of the ceramic production processes in the industry. Some of our graduates take part in these fields of study and continue to serve the sector. It is aimed to provide opportunities to our students with the projects that the academic staff will carry out jointly with the industry. With the existence of existing workshops and laboratories, industrial and artistic designs are realized in the field of ceramics, and these designs receive awards in ceramic competitions held in Turkey and abroad. At the beginning of the subjects that the industry contributes to the Ceramics Department of our university, raw material support, laboratory equipment, and assistant trainers in computer-aided design come. Experts working in different fields of the ceramic industry share their experiences and offer suggestions and solutions to students. With the belief that increasing this cooperation will be possible with the planned projects, both the Faculty of Fine Arts Ceramics Department and the Uşak University Social Sciences Institute Ceramics Department academic staff and students continue their studies.

Personnel Capacity

Personnel capacity information for the fields of Leather, Textile, and Ceramics is given below.

i) There are 4 Assistant Professors and 2 Experts in the Department of Fashion Design, Faculty of Fine Arts, Uşak University. There are 3 Instructors in the Fashion Design Program at Uşak University Karahallı Vocational School, 3 Instructors in the Fashion Design Program of Ulubey Vocational School, and 1 Lecturer in the Technical Sciences Vocational School Clothing Production Technology Program. 1 Associate Professor, 2 Assistant Professors in Leather Engineering. Assoc. 2 lecturers and academic staff work in different units of our university.

ii) Uşak University Textile Engineering Department has 2 professors, 2 associate professors, 4 assistant professors, 2 research assistants who have completed the doctorate program, and 4 research assistants who are still continuing their doctorate program. In addition, thanks to the Regional Development Focused Mission Differentiation and Specialization Program, 2 Textile Engineer Experts joined us.

iii) 1 professor, 3 assistant professors, 4 lecturers, 1 research assistant who is still continuing the doctoral program in Uşak University Fine Arts Faculty Ceramics Department; Uşak University Banaz Vocational School Architecture and Decorative Arts Program has 5 lecturers. In addition, thanks to the Regional Development-Oriented Mission Differentiation and Specialization Program, 3 experts working at the Uşak University Ceramics Research and Application Center joined us.