29/11/2013
The introduction meeting for the “Countries initiative for Turkey” project held with the cooperation of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and Joachim Herz Foundation took place at the German Embassy in Ankara. Following introductory remarks, President Nihat Berker spoke on “Academic Processes, Knowledge, Enlightenment and Fellowship: Progress between Germany and Turkey.”
President Nihat Berker had been granted the Humboldt Research Prize, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific awards, by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in 2007.
Subsequently, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences’ Biological Sciences and Bioengineering faculty member İsmail Çakmak was awarded the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s award for lifelong contribution to science, the Georg Forster Research Prize. Çakmak will receive his prize at the annual meeting of the Humboldt Foundation in Berlin between June 3 and 5, 2014.
İsmail Çakmak
Number of cooperating universities multiplied by 4 in the last 4 years
Speaking at the meeting, German Ambassador Eberhard Pohl remarked on the long-established scientific cooperation between Turkey and Germany, reminding listeners that a number of German scientists sought shelter in Turkey during the first years of the Turkish Republic and the rule of national socialism in Germany.
Pohl said that the cooperation between Germany and Turkey in science and university education continued to receive great interest, mentioning the consistent increase in educational exchange projects for the last 20 years. Pohl noted that the number of students and scientists supported by Germany in Turkey doubled in the last four years, while the number of cooperating universities multiplied by four.
Introducing the “Countries initiative for Turkey” project, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Chairman Helmut Schwarz said that their objective was to further increase cooperation between the two nations. Emphasizing Turkey’s considerable scientific potential, Schwarz noted that the number of Turkish students was in decline, and that they as a foundation would work to attract more scientists and students.
