The 2015 ‘TÜBA Awards’ are Presented
The 2015 International TÜBA Academy GEBİP and TEÇEP Awards were presented to recipients at the ceremony organized on December 14, 2015 at the Presidential Social Complex under the auspices of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
At the ceremony, Austrian Linz Johannes Kepler University Teaching Staff Member Niyazi Serdar Sarıçiftçi received an award in the field of Science and Engineering Studies, Canada Toronto University Teaching Staff Member and Pakistan Aga Han University Women and Children’s Health Center of Excellence Director Zülfiqar Ahmad Bhutta received an award in the field of Health and Life Studies, Istanbul City University Teaching Staff Member Mehmet Genç received an award in the field of Social and human Studies from the TÜBA Academy Awards presented by President Erdoğan.
In the field of the Young Scientist Outstanding Achievement Award Program (GEBİP) 38 scientists received awards while 19 scientists received awards in the Scientific Copyright and Translation Award Program (TEÇEP).
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, saying that he considered the TÜBA Award Ceremony a compliment towards commending the efforts of our scientists, added that this was the approach with which the Presidency supported the TÜBA Award Ceremony.
Emphasizing that he followed and supported all work in the fields of research, development and innovation very closely throughout his term as Prime Minister to the present, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also added that he was the chairman in all meetings of the Supreme Council for Science and Technology (BTYK) during his term as Prime Minister. Pointing out that he gave his support to many projects decided on by the BTYK, President Erdoğan said he showed the utmost effort to make sure the projects were realized quickly, efficiently and productively.
President Erdoğan emphasized that they would be increasingly more supportive of sponsorship and incentives towards science and scientists at every opportunity and added, "As I have expressed at every opportunity we need to shed this superficiality of the teacher-student relationship. We will construct the New Turkey in light of science, knowledge, research and innovation. I hope that with the support of our scientists we will cover important ground in a short time on this subject. I have faith and trust in all our scientists".
Expressing that half of success is belief, President Erdoğan also said “First we must be self-confident, have faith, and then we must work very hard and show great effort. Success will develop on its own as a natural result of this process. The best example of this is our Nobel Prize Recipient Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar. After receiving his entire education in our country, this brother of our very own never lost his connection to us and moved on to achieve a Nobel Prize. Is there anything more to say here? We should never forget that Turkey’s responsibility is not just for itself. This is why we are in some ways a nation responsible for the Turkish world of 300 million people, the Islamic world of 1.7 billion people and the entire 7 billion people. We have such roots within our soul”.
Minister of Science, Industry and Technology Fikri Işık, who spoke following President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, said “Such a program being held at the Presidential Social Complex and the President and government embracing the program sends an important message in terms of raising public and youth awareness in these fields”.
In the speech made by Academy President Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar, he said the acknowledgement of scientist achievements will contribute to Turkey’s 2023 goals. Acar, who said that 38 select scientists had been chosen from 24 different universities in the scope of TÜBA-GEBİP this year, said 373 individuals have been rewarded in the program to date. Acar explained that with the 19 works that had been rewarded in the scope of TÜBA-TEÇEP this year the total number of rewarded works has reached 180. Acar also added that the interest shown by the scientific community in the TÜBA Academy Awards started in 2015 was very pleasing.
2015 was a year in which we have started getting results from our projects
Prof. Dr. Ahmet Cevat Acar continued his speech as follows: “With its total of 203 select members, 106 of which are principle, 39 are honorary and 58 are associate members, and its employees TÜBA carries out its national duties in line with academic principles, an approach that considers diversity to be enrichment and the awareness and responsibility of being Turkey’s national academy. TÜBA continues existing and newly created programs, projects and operations in this scope. TÜBA continues to conduct scientific activities, publications and reporting operations in the fields of science education, cancer, stem cell, food and nutrition, Turkish Science Terms, the Turkish-Islam Science Culture Heritage Project, the Etymological Turkish Dictionary, corporate capacity development, science and education. This year was one, in which we started to get some positive and pleasing results for some new projects. In June, with the participation of our esteemed Minister, the use of a Turkish Scientific Terms Dictionary Project Engineering Terms Dictionary was opened for public use over the internet. The 3-volume ‘Beçin Treasure’, which is a product of TÜBA and the Austrian Sciences Academy and concerns the greatest treasure to be found in the world, was published. The first work in the scope of the Turkish-Islam Science and Cultural Heritage Project was published. We believe that this project contribute to reaching of national goals and simultaneously contribute to building the confidence we need as a nation. The number of national academies that TÜBA had made agreements with, in line with its mission to represent Turkey the international field, has gone up from 23 to 30 and the number of umbrella organizations we are members in with the Turkish World Academies Association, in which we take an active role, has gone up to 12. The chairmanship of the Turkish World Academies Association, in which TÜBA became a founding member on June 29, 2015, will be undertaken by us for the 2016-2017 period. Also the 2016 general assembly and scientific meeting titled ‘Migration’ of the Asian Academies Association, for which one of our members is the deputy chairman, will be organized by us. Also at another very pleasing event that we all experienced together as a nation was the Nobel Prize ceremony we attended for Aziz Sancar as the first Turkish Scientist to receive the prize in the field of chemistry. It should be noted, emphasizing the scientific achievements and discoveries that led him to this great success, that Scholar Aziz Sancar displayed an exemplary attitude with his loyalty and devotion to our country and nation and it is with great pleasure for me to have this opportunity to express my congratulations to our valued Professor for his success and convey our gratitude for his respected manner”.
