We Are Accelerating the Development of the Research Ecosystem of the TRNC, We Are Walking Together into the Future with Science and Technology!

Within the scope of the protocol signed with the Ministry of National Education of TRNC, TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal made contacts in TRNC. The Protocol allowed opening of a significant part of the research support provided by TÜBİTAK to academics in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Regarding this, Prof. Dr. Mandal met with TRNC Minister of National Education Nazım Çavuşoğlu and with the Coordinator of the Development and Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Office Mr. Ömer Cihan. Meetings were held to develop relations between the two sides.

Commenting on his contacts in the TRNC, Mandal said, "We came together with TRNC Minister of National Education Mr. Nazım Çavuşoğlu in order to make the academics and researchers in the TRNC more effective in our ecosystems, and we shared our work on the steps to strengthen their cooperation and the process to be followed in this regard."

Mandal, who also met with academics in the TRNC as part of the Universities Information Meeting, gave detailed information about TÜBİTAK research and support programs and answered questions posed by academics.

Afterwards, Prof. Dr. Mandal held a situation assessment meeting with the rectors of TRNC universities under the chairmanship of TRNC Minister of National Education Çavuşoğlu about the processes of TÜBİTAK programs.

Prof. Dr. Mandal said, "As TÜBİTAK, we will continue to work with TRNC to achieve together with a strong and full cooperation in the field of science and technology and in other every field!"

Visit to YÖDAK

TÜBİTAK President also visited the Higher Education Planning, Supervision, Accreditation and Coordination Board (YÖDAK).

According to the information given by YÖDAK, at the meeting, the steps to be made for  creatingmotivation and support to increase the research capacity of TRNC universities, which has stagnated since 2014, were discussed. A consensus was reached to identifythe TRNC-based project topics together with YÖDAK, MoNE and universities, and to inform and encourage scientists who will work in this field. It was also discussed to initiate work on the immediate establishment of Technology Transfer Offices and Project Support Offices at universities.

"We would like to thank TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal for this important visit and wish this initiative to be beneficial for TRNC universities," the statement said.