He served at various academic and administrative positions at the Eastern Mediterranean University (EMU) in North Cyprus starting as the Registrar in 1981, serving as the Head of Economics, and the Banking and Finance Departments, and the Dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics until 2009.
Prof. Bicak obtained B. Sc. Degree in Sociology (1976) and master’s degree in Economics and Statistics (1979) from the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. He earned his Ph. D. degree in economics from the University of Leicester, UK in 1990. He became an Associate Professor in 1996 and Professor in 2005.
In 1996, he completed the “Program on Investment Appraisal and Management” at the Harvard Institute for International Development and he lectured in the same program in 1998, 1999 and 2000. In 2004, he thought at the John Deutsch International Executive Program of the Queen’s University in Canada, on Investment Appraisal and Risk Analysis.
Prof. Bicak served in the think-thank group of President of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Rauf Denktas (1995-96), worked as an advisor to the Prime Minister Hakki Atun (1995-96) and to the Minister of National Education and Culture Mehmet Altinay (1999-2001). In 2004, he was the head of the Central Bank and Financial Institutions Team at the Cyprus negotiations between the Turkish Cypriots and the Greek Cypriots and in 2008, he was the Head of the Economics Committee, one of the six committees, covering all aspects of economics.
As the Dean of Faculty of Business and Economics, he took part in the European University Association (EUA) Institutional Evaluation of the Eastern Mediterranean University in 2007 and initiated accreditation process of his Faculty with the Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business (AACSB) during which he attended quite a number of workshops on quality assurance issues, including Assessment and Applied Assessment of Learning Outcomes organized by AACSB. With the Fulbright Cyprus-America Scholarship Program, he visited a number universities and regional accreditation organizations in USA, in 2009.
In November 2008, he took part in the International Peer Review Team of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) evaluating the Business Faculty of Koç University in Istanbul.
Prof. Bicak attended the “Training session/workshop for experts for agency reviews” organized by the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA) in 2010 and his name is listed in the ENQA pool of trained reviewers. In 2012, Prof. Bicak was an observer in the review panel, accrediting the Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assessment of Serbia (CAQA).
During his Presidency at YODAK, he attended a number of workshops on quality assurance at higher education institutions (HEIs) organized by ENQA, CEENQA and INQAAHE. He invited recognized (credible) quality assurance agencies from Turkey, from Europe and from USA to inform HEIs on the standards and procedures of their review processes. Some of these quality agencies were Accreditation Council of Engineering Programs – Turkey (MUDEK), Association to Advance Collegiate School of Business (AACSB), European University Association (EUA), European Association for Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU), European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), German Accreditation Agency for Engineering, Informatics, Natural Sciences and Mathematics Programmes (ASIIN), Foundation for International Business Administration (FIBAA), Accreditation Agency for Study Programmes in Health and Social Sciences (AHPGS) and Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
In 2011, Prof. Bicak took part as an observer in the review panel of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) which audited the Architecture Program of the University of East London. In the same year, he was also an observer in the accreditation of Engineering Programs at Bilkent University by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET).
Prof. Bicak reviewed the MBA Program of the University of Bahrain (Chair) and the MBA Program of the Malaysian Open University’s Branch in Bahrain in 2011 on behalf of the Bahrain’s Quality Assurance Authority of Education and Training (QAAET). In 2014, he took part in the review process of the Undergraduate and MBA Business Programs of the University College of Bahrain and later in the year, he chaired the panel reviewing the Business and the Logistics Management Programs of the Bahrain Polytechnic. Very recently, Prof. Bicak, as the chair, reviewed the Brunel University PhD (WR) Program at Ahlia University in Bahrain, Ahlia University, AMA International University (and follow – up review of University of Technology Bahrain) on behalf of the Bahrain QA.
On behalf of the Accreditation Agency of Kosovo, Prof. Bicak reviewed the Business Programs (undergraduate and masters) of the International College of Management – Globus College in 2012 (Chair), Business Programs of College of Pjeter Budi in 2013, and chaired the institutional and program review process of the University of Mitrovica Isa Boletini in 2014. In 2015 he chaired the experts’ panel reviewing the Globus College (institutional review).
In 2014, on behalf of FIBAA based in Germany, he took part in the review process of the MBA Program and in 2015 institutional review of the Beirut Arab University (BAU) in Lebanon. With another German Accreditation Agency AQAS Prof. Bicak was the panel member that reviewed the Business Cluster Programs of Istanbul Gelisim University in 2017.
In Saudi Arabia Prof. Bicak chaired and served as a panel member in many institutional and program reviews some of which were King Saud University, King Khalid University, Umm Al-Qura University, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dar Al Ulum University, Betterjee Medical College, Riyadh Colleges of Dentistry and Pharmacy, Taif University and Al Qassim University. Very recently Prof. Bicak chaired the review processes of Jeddah University, Yanbu University College, King Faisal University, University of Business and Technology, Gulf Colleges Hafr Al Batin and Dar Al Hekma University.
On behalf of the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority, he was one of the panel members at the Institutional Standards Assessment (ISA) of the Muscat College in 2019.After working at various administrative positions as the first registrar (1981), head of departments of Economics, Banking and Finance, and the Dean of the Business and Economics Faculty at the Eastern Mediterranean University of North Cyprus, Prof. Bicak was appointed as the President of the Higher Education Assessment and Accreditation Council (YODAK) in 2009 and served until 2013. During his Presidency, in addition to affiliate membership to European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), YODAK became a full member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE), Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies (CEENQA) and (founding member) Association of Quality Assurance Agencies of the Islamic World (QA-Islamic). Prof. Bicak served as a Board Member of CEENQA and represented CEENQA at an EU Project in Yerevan (2013), and INQAAHE Annual QA Networks’ Meetings in Taiwan (2013) and in Chicago (2014).
Prof. Bicak served as a full-time resident Consultant at the National Center for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA) of Saudi Arabia during 2014 and 2015. At NCAAA, apart from routine consultancy work he carried out several eligibility reviews at program and institutional levels. Before and after his consultancy work at NCAAA, he chaired and worked as a member in many reviews in Saudi Arabia including King Saud University, King Khalid University, Umm Al-Qura University, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dar Al Ulum University, Betterjee Medical College, Taif University and AlQassim University. Very recently Prof. Bicak chaired the review processes of Jeddah University, Yanbu University College, King Faisal University, University of Business and Technology, Gulf Colleges Hafr Al Batin and Dar Al Hekma University.
On behalf of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), FIBAA (Business Programs Accreditation Agency) and AQAS based in Germany, he took part in institutional and program reviews of universities in Turkey (Koc University and Istanbul Gelisim University) and in Lebanon (Beirut Arab University (institutional and also Business Administration Program).
Furthermore, Prof. Bicak reviewed quite a number of universities in Bahrain, Kosovo, Oman on behalf of their national quality assurance agencies. Some of these reviews involved University of Bahrain, Malaysian Open University’s Branch in Bahrain, University College of Bahrain and Bahrain Polytechnic, International College of Management – Globus College in Kosova, College of Pjeter Budi, University of Mitrovica Isa Boletini and Muscat College in Oman. Very recently, Prof. Bicak, as the chair, reviewed the Brunel University PhD (WR) Program at Ahlia University in Bahrain, Ahlia University, AMA International University (and follow – up review of University of Technology Bahrain) on behalf of the Bahrain QA.
Prof. Bicak was an observer in the review panel, accrediting the Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assessment (CAQA) of Serbia and his name is listed in the ENQA pool of reviewers for QAAs in Europe.
After working at various administrative positions as the first registrar (1981), head of departments of Economics, Banking and Finance, and the Dean of the Business and Economics Faculty at the Eastern Mediterranean University of North Cyprus, Prof. Bicak was appointed as the President of the Higher Education Assessment and Accreditation Council (YODAK) in 2009 and served until 2013. During his Presidency, in addition to affiliate membership to European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), YODAK became a full member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE), Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies (CEENQA) and (founding member) Association of Quality Assurance Agencies of the Islamic World (QA-Islamic). Prof. Bicak served as a Board Member of CEENQA and represented CEENQA at an EU Project in Yerevan (2013), and INQAAHE Annual QA Networks’ Meetings in Taiwan (2013) and in Chicago (2014).
Prof. Bicak served as a full-time resident Consultant at the National Center for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA) of Saudi Arabia during 2014 and 2015. At NCAAA, apart from routine consultancy work he carried out several eligibility reviews at program and institutional levels. Before and after his consultancy work at NCAAA, he chaired and worked as a member in many reviews in Saudi Arabia including King Saud University, King Khalid University, Umm Al-Qura University, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dar Al Ulum University, Betterjee Medical College, Taif University and AlQassim University. Very recently Prof. Bicak chaired the review processes of Jeddah University, Yanbu University College, King Faisal University, University of Business and Technology, Gulf Colleges Hafr Al Batin and Dar Al Hekma University.
On behalf of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), FIBAA (Business Programs Accreditation Agency) and AQAS based in Germany, he took part in institutional and program reviews of universities in Turkey (Koc University and Istanbul Gelisim University) and in Lebanon (Beirut Arab University (institutional and also Business Administration Program).
Furthermore, Prof. Bicak reviewed quite a number of universities in Bahrain, Kosovo, Oman on behalf of their national quality assurance agencies. Some of these reviews involved University of Bahrain, Malaysian Open University’s Branch in Bahrain, University College of Bahrain and Bahrain Polytechnic, International College of Management – Globus College in Kosova, College of Pjeter Budi, University of Mitrovica Isa Boletini and Muscat College in Oman. Very recently, Prof. Bicak, as the chair, reviewed the Brunel University PhD (WR) Program at Ahlia University in Bahrain, Ahlia University, AMA International University (and follow – up review of University of Technology Bahrain) on behalf of the Bahrain QA.
Prof. Bicak was an observer in the review panel, accrediting the Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assessment (CAQA) of Serbia and his name is listed in the ENQA pool of reviewers for QAAs in Europe.
After working at various administrative positions as the first registrar (1981), head of departments of Economics, Banking and Finance, and the Dean of the Business and Economics Faculty at the Eastern Mediterranean University of North Cyprus, Prof. Bicak was appointed as the President of the Higher Education Assessment and Accreditation Council (YODAK) in 2009 and served until 2013. During his Presidency, in addition to affiliate membership to European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), YODAK became a full member of the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE), Central and Eastern European Network of Quality Assurance Agencies (CEENQA) and (founding member) Association of Quality Assurance Agencies of the Islamic World (QA-Islamic). Prof. Bicak served as a Board Member of CEENQA and represented CEENQA at an EU Project in Yerevan (2013), and INQAAHE Annual QA Networks’ Meetings in Taiwan (2013) and in Chicago (2014).
Prof. Bicak served as a full-time resident Consultant at the National Center for Academic Accreditation and Assessment (NCAAA) of Saudi Arabia during 2014 and 2015. At NCAAA, apart from routine consultancy work he carried out several eligibility reviews at program and institutional levels. Before and after his consultancy work at NCAAA, he chaired and worked as a member in many reviews in Saudi Arabia including King Saud University, King Khalid University, Umm Al-Qura University, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dar Al Ulum University, Betterjee Medical College, Taif University and AlQassim University. Very recently Prof. Bicak chaired the review processes of Jeddah University, Yanbu University College, King Faisal University, University of Business and Technology, Gulf Colleges Hafr Al Batin and Dar Al Hekma University.
On behalf of the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), FIBAA (Business Programs Accreditation Agency) and AQAS based in Germany, he took part in institutional and program reviews of universities in Turkey (Koc University and Istanbul Gelisim University) and in Lebanon (Beirut Arab University (institutional and also Business Administration Program).
Furthermore, Prof. Bicak reviewed quite a number of universities in Bahrain, Kosovo, Oman on behalf of their national quality assurance agencies. Some of these reviews involved University of Bahrain, Malaysian Open University’s Branch in Bahrain, University College of Bahrain and Bahrain Polytechnic, International College of Management – Globus College in Kosova, College of Pjeter Budi, University of Mitrovica Isa Boletini and Muscat College in Oman. Very recently, Prof. Bicak, as the chair, reviewed the Brunel University PhD (WR) Program at Ahlia University in Bahrain, Ahlia University, AMA International University (and follow – up review of University of Technology Bahrain) on behalf of the Bahrain QA.
Prof. Bicak was an observer in the review panel, accrediting the Commission for Accreditation and Quality Assessment (CAQA) of Serbia and his name is listed in the ENQA pool of reviewers for QAAs in Europe.
