TÜBA 51st General Assembly: Prof. Mardin and Prof. Sarıçiftçi were Elected as TÜBA Members
2016 International TÜBA Academy Prize winner Prof. Şerif Mardin was elected as Academy Honorary Member and 2015 International TÜBA Academy Prize winner Ord. Prof. Niyazi Serdar Çiftçi was elected as Academy Principal Member as voting result at the TÜBA 51st General Assembly held in June 17, 2017 in Ankara with the participation of TÜBA members.
The General Assembly held at Point Hotel, was started with the speech of TÜBA President Prof. Ahmet Cevat Acar. Mentioning about activities, plans and projects of Academy since 50th General Assembly held in December 2016, Prof. Acar underlined that the works on issuing a TÜBA Law and assigning an Academy building are continuing. Prof. Acar also gave information about the members whose membership come to end and the scientists swho are proposed for the new membership.
Prof. Acar continued his speech as follow: “Unfortunately, Turkey undergoes a period of extraordinary circumstances. The Republic of Turkey is facing a war but this war is not like traditional wars. It contains the elements of hybrid wars and proxy wars. Countries that declared war no longer directly accumulate their armed forces in the target country and regions. They're going to get the people killed each other. These are Muslim peoples, we are quickly persuaded by this games as the Islamic world. Extraordinary periods also reveal extraordinary conditions and consequences. We have respected our responsibility to become a science academy in this period. We have always defended our domestic and national approach, which we have expressed before this extraordinary period. We regard loyalty to the unity of the Turkish state and nation, its integrity, independence and survival, since the beginning as the minimum of being domestic. There is no other measurement except this one. Our way will continue in this direction.”
Prof. Şerif Mardin and Prof. Niyazi Serdar Sarıçiftçi were Elected as TÜBA Members
İstanbul Şehir University Faculty Member Prof. Şerif Mardin who is innovative and pioneer in the fields of political science and sociology and firstly addresses the issues that are taboo in religion-politics-related studies on history of Turkish thought, civil society, was elected as TÜBA Honorary Member as the result of voting made at TÜBA General Assembly.
Prof. Mardin always contributed to the understanding of the historical, social and political dynamics of the Ottoman Empire and the Republican Turkey in a healthier way by exploring the "reasons behind the reasons" in his research based on fundamental sources. Prof. Mardin is one of the most cited social scientists on the international scene.
Austrian Johannes Kepler University Faculty Member Ord. Prof. Niyazi Serdar Sarıçiftçi was elected as TÜBA Principal Member again as the result of voting made at TÜBA General Assembly.
Prof. Sarıçiftçi opened a groundbreaking on organic photovoltaic materials with his article published in Science Journal in 1992 written with Prof. Alan Hegeer. Sarıçifti later developed these materials and became the pioneer in the development of foldable plastic solar batteries, which are much cheaper than standard solar batteries. The institute in Linz, Austria, of which he is founder and manager, is a worldwide center for the efficient use of solar energy as a renewable energy source. In this context, Sarıçiftçi has never stopped relations with Turkish and Turkish scientists and always supported them.
New members to the Academy Council
TÜBA Principal Members Prof. Reşat Apak, Prof. Feridun Cahit Tanyel, Prof. Fikrettin Şahin, Prof. İzzet Öztürk and Prof. Mustafa Solak were elected as TÜBA Academy Council members as a result of the voting, instead of the members whose memberships come to end.
General Assembly Conference from TÜBA Honorary Member Prof. İsenbike Togan: "We and Others: The Environmental Factor in the History of the Turks"
General Assembly Conference from TÜBA Honorary Member Prof. İsenbike Togan "We and Others: The Environmental Factor in the History of the Turks" was followed with interest by the members of the Academy. Prof. Togan, in his speech over an hour, emphasized “environmental factors and focus points in history in the development of the people and self-perception of human”. Saying that “Given the existence of Turks in Eurasia at different times and in very different geographies, learning Turks' history together with their surroundings and their neighbors introduces us to world history.” Prof. Togan mentioned about world history and history ıf Turks. After the conference, Prof. Acar presented a plaque of thanks to Prof. Togan.
Prof. Ahmet Cevat Acar also stated in his speech at General Assembly that Prof. Gülfettin Çelik from İstanbul Medeniyet University, Prof. Nazım Ekren from Istanbul Ticaret University, Sakarya University Rector Prof. Muzaffer Elmas, Prof. Özcan Erel from Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Prof. İbrahim Hatiboğlu from Yalova University, Prof. Naci Gündoğan from Anadolu University, Prof. Mesun Güner from Yıldız Teknik University, Turkish Language Association President Prof. Mustafa S. Kaçalin, Prof. Ayşegül Komsuoğlu Çıtıpıtıoğlu from İstanbul University, Prof. Feza Korkusuz from Hacettepe University and Boğaziçi University Rector Prof. Mehmed Özkan was selected as TÜBA Principal Members by YÖK Executive Committee. Prof. Acar also expressed his congratulations to the new members.