TÜBİTAK

A special excursion program was organized for Konya with 170 foreign students from 35 countries in Ankara and Konya within the scope of 8^th “Turkish Summer School” that was held by the Yunus Emre Institute this year. Foreign students, within the context of Turkey Scientific and Academic Cooperation Project (TABİP) which was launched by Yunus Emre Institute under auspices of Presidency of the Republic of Turkey and introducing the scientific presence of Turkey in the international arena, visited Konya Science Center and participated in science shows, workshops and laboratory activities. Konya Science Center that was established by Konya's leading institutions and organizations via developing an exemplary model of cooperation, with the support of TUBITAK calls and support and has feature of the biggest science center, aims at popularizing the science culture. Uğur İbrahim Altay, Mayor of Konya Metropolitan Municipality, Prof. Hasan Mandal, President of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) and Prof. Şeref Ateş, President of the Yunus Emre Institute, academicians and a large number of students participated in the event. In opening speech, Konya Metropolitan Mayor Uğur İbrahim Altay expressed that Konya is the city of friendship, brotherhood and tolerance and he is very happy for welcoming the students of Turkish Summer School in Konya.

Within the context of the program, a panel also took place with the participation of Prof. Hasan Mandal, President of TÜBİTAK, Prof. Şeref Ateş, President of Yunus Emre Institute and Yunus Emre Institute Science Committee Members Prof. Bilge Demirköz, Prof. Musa Yıldız and Prof. Yusuf Baran. The panel, in which science in Turkey and science on today were discussed, was moderated by Prof. Yusuf Baran.

Prof. Hasan Mandal, President of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey stated that “TÜBİTAK will celebrate the 55^th anniversary in the coming days” in his speech at the Konya Science Center program. Noting that the providing of the interaction of science with the society is among the tasks of TÜBİTAK, Prof. Mandal, pointed out that "the amount of support was 1.6 billion Turkish Liras for a year in 2017. This money for more research in Turkey and to convert the research to value. Both for the projects of lecturers in the universities and researchers in the industry. It is a council providing support for increasing the effectiveness of the business world, training of the scientists, active functioning of science centers ".

President of TÜBİTAK Prof. Hasan Mandal said that an increasing amount of collaborations will be focused on human mobility in future, just like here at the Turkish Summer School, as the more people cooperate and realize human mobility, the recognition of the countries each other and the potential for cooperation would increase in the same degree.

Prof. Hasan Mandal, emphasizing that the most important thing is knowledge and information produced jointly, also talked about the human beings who is producing them as well as producing and finding of knowledge and interaction of human beings.

In his speech in Konya Science Center programme, President of Yunus Emre Institute Prof. Şeref Ateş stated that the Institute is working for increasing the number of people who have connection with Turkey in the world and they launched the TABİP for the target of common humanity and human-based understanding. Prof. Şeref Ateş, pointing out the main purpose of TABİP is to share innovation and goodness of science, stated that “Therefore, we are at the science center today. The main purpose of TABİP is to meet the scientific development in Turkey with the World. Also, to meet all of the scientific data in the world with Turkey and to use all kind of scientific fields in favor of humankind. TUBITAK is giving the biggest contribution in this sense.” Prof. Şeref Ateş, expressing that the Institute is operating in more than 60 countries, said that their Science Advisors are working 5 countries including Belgium, the United States, Germany, Ethiopia and Australia.

At the end of the program, astrolabes, invented in the Ancient Greek era which were used to determine the date and time by travelers and mariners, were gifted to panelists.