TÜBİTAK hosted WAITRO International Student/Researcher Forum
On May 17, 2024, the vibrant TÜBİTAK Gebze Campus in Kocaeli, Türkiye, became a melting pot of ideas and innovation as it hosted the WAITRO International Student/Researcher Forum. This event, under the auspices of The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK) and its President, Prof. Hasan Mandal, who currently holds the WAITRO presidency, was a bespoke gathering designed for international students and post-doctoral researchers from various countries.
The forum’s agenda was rich and diverse, offering a unique platform to explore funding, employment, and internship opportunities, as well as to delve into WAITRO’s programs, services, and upcoming events. We were honored to welcome 18 in-person participants from Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Cameroon, Tunisia, Sudan, Nigeria, and Iran, alongside 20 virtual attendees, all representing countries with WAITRO member institutions.
The day commenced with an inspiring welcome speech by Professor Dr. Hasan Mandal, President of WAITRO and TÜBİTAK. He eloquently addressed the pressing global challenges we face, particularly climate change, and emphasized the collective effort required for sustainable transformation. Prof. Mandal reaffirmed TÜBİTAK’s unwavering commitment to supporting international researchers through initiatives like the 2216D – TÜBİTAK-WAITRO Postgraduate and Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme.
Dr. Paul E. Burrows, WAITRO Secretary General, provided an insightful overview of WAITRO’s history, development, and achievements, highlighting our evolution into a global innovation family. Notably, WAITRO’s recent expansion includes welcoming the investment community and industry as associate members, broadening the spectrum of funding and partnership opportunities beyond traditional government-led models.
Eng. Abeer Arafat from the Royal Science Society-Jordan, a beacon of WAITRO’s regional and global initiatives, shared insights into RSS’s research areas and its longstanding 30-year membership and, indeed, leadership of WAITRO.
The forum also featured presentations on TÜBİTAK Funding Programs and Institutes, including BİLGEM, MAM, TÜSSİDE, and UME, providing valuable information on their activities, job and internship opportunities, as well as scholarship and funding options.
The event continued with a tour of TÜBİTAK Gebze campus’s laboratories and infrastructures, followed by a wrap-up session that fostered an exchange of views among all participants.
As we look ahead to the WAITRO Summit 2024 in Nanjing, China this November, we are excited about the potential discussions on Disaster Resistant Cities and Green and Digital Transformation. These dialogues are set to further solidify our global research and innovation network.
Read more
About the Author: Lei Hou
