A hybrid education system that offers face-to-face, as well as distance education, at universities will be implemented with different models in universities starting Monday.

The president of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), professor Erol Özvar, announced that the new decisions made in the earthquake's aftermath will be implemented as of April 3, 2023, for the spring term of the 2022-2023 academic year.

The university administrations also gathered and shared the details of the program with their students.

Following YÖK's decision, universities have given students the option to either attend lessons face-to-face or online, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported, citing various university rectors.

Universities have determined models that will be adopted to implement the hybrid education system in different ways, where distance education is offered along with face-to-face education to facilitate the students.

Some universities will use the technological infrastructure they established in the classrooms for hybrid education during the COVID-19 period.

Universities will conduct the midterm exams in the spring semester with distance education methods, except for the programs that include practical training for students.

Meanwhile, earlier in February, YÖK extended the nationwide closure of schools and universities after the catastrophic earthquakes, announcing online classes for higher education. The move spurred protests from students and a demand to revise the decision because of claims that distance education slows academic development.

The earthquakes, with an epicenter in Kahramanmaraş, affected 11 provinces in the southeast on Feb. 6. The disaster shocked the entire country, causing widespread devastation.