English: President Türk emphasised that throughout history, higher education has been the breeding ground of ideas and knowledge, and therefore a critical agent in the generation of development. Mr Türk pointed out that the contribution of higher education institutions to human development is influenced by a number of factors. Among them, he mentioned academic freedom, academic quality and excellence, as well as academic contribution to dialogue among civilisations. President Türk recalled that quality cannot be ensured by market forces or by competition among institutions of higher learning. He added that academic freedom and academic exchange has to serve a purpose of global communication and better communication among civilisations. The fundamental need of our time is to ensure higher education and education in general to the entire humankind.

Slovensko: Predsednik je poudaril, da je visoko šolstvo skozi zgodovino razvijalo nove ideje in znanje, zato je bilo ključni dejavnik, ki je ustvarjal razvoj. Izpostavil je, da na uspešen prispevek institucij visokega šolstva k današnjemu razvoju vpliva več dejavnikov. Med njimi akademska svoboda, akademska kakovost in odličnost ter akademski prispevek k dialogu med civilizacijami. Opozoril je, da kakovosti ne moreta zagotoviti trg in tekmovanje med visokošolskimi institucijami. Akademska svoboda in izmenjava morata služiti boljši globalni komunikaciji in boljši komunikaciji med civilizacijami. Temeljna potreba današnjega časa je zagotoviti celotnemu človeštvu dostop do visokega šolstva in izobrazbe na splošno.