TASSA was at TUBITAK’s Research Destination Turkey 2012 Workshop
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) organized a series of workshops in Maryland, New York, and Chicago on April 10, April 12, and April 14, respectively. These workshops aim to create awareness on recent research developments in Turkey, research funding, and job and sabbatical opportunities in Turkey. Participants who seek employment and project development opportunities met with eighteen institutions from Turkey, who made presentations during the daylong event.
The workshop in Maryland was held at the University of Maryland, University College. At the opening remarks, TÜBİTAK’s Vice President Prof. Dr. Yunus Çengel said “There are several good opportunities in Turkey if scientists and scholars would like to go to Turkey. We will inform all of you at our workshops and the decision is yours. We don’t need your physical presence; we just need your brain and knowledge. Nowadays it doesn’t matter where a person physically is.” Prof. Dr. Çengel also added that there is a big change in the science and research areas in Turkey and there are ample funding opportunities for good projects. After his speech, Prof. Dr. Çengel gave a presentation on the “Recent Developments in Scientific Research in Turkey.”
Prof. Dr. Haluk Ünal, the President of Turkish American Scientists and Scholars Association (TASSA), also gave a keynote speech at the Maryland workshop. Prof. Dr. Ünal said “The respectability of a country in the world is directly proportional to its contribution to science, art and humanities, and sports. Therefore what TÜBİTAK is doing is very important for Turkey. It is everyone’s desire that Turkish scientists and scholars win the Nobel Prize and today’s Turkish scientists are involved with projects that makes us hopeful more than ever.” He also added “We [Turkish scientific community] think correctly and do the right things. We are on the right track.” Ünal also explained the objectives and activities of TASSA. He mentioned that TASSA is an independent, non-profit and non-political organization and its mission is to promote educational, scientific and technological cooperation between the USA and Turkey. During his presentation, Prof. Dr. Ünal mentioned the success of the TASSA 2012 Conference, which was held on March 3-4 at the University of Maryland, College Park. About 400 world-renowned scholars and higher education policymakers from the United States and Turkey attended the conference.
In addition, during the Maryland Workshop on April 10, Tuğba Arslan Kantarcıoğlu from TÜBİTAK made a presentation about the European and National Funding opportunities and explained the details and features of the research funds. After these presentations, Prof. Dr. Adnan Akay from Bilkent University and Assoc. Prof. Sencer Ecer from Istanbul Technical University shared the success stories and their experiences with the participants. Afterwards, eighteen institutions including universities, scientific organizations and companies introduced their organizations and explained the job and collaboration opportunities for scientists and scholars. In the afternoon, these institutions met with the participants and provided more detailed information about the projects and available positions.
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