Turkey’s First Joint Research Center that will Solve the Mystery of Brain Established with Initiative of CoHE

November 21, 2020


Gazi University, Ankara University and Middle East Technical University joined their forces with the initiative of the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) and established the Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Center of Excellence (NÖROM) for joint research and development. Thus, the first model in Turkey that aims to make efficient use of public resources through the joint R&D efforts of the leading universities on strategic issues, was realized.

With the initiative of CoHE, an important step was taken within the scope of the legal regulation that calls for the establishment of a joint research center where leading universities can combine their powers, knowledge and experience in order to support strategically-important projects such as medicine, vaccines and seeds. The regulation was accepted at the General Assembly of the Turkish Grand National Assembly in April.

Following the publication of the Law on the Amendment of the Higher Education Law and Certain Laws in the Official Gazette, CoHE started to receive applications from universities regarding the opening of joint research centers.

At first, "Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Center of Excellence " (NÖROM) was established for the R&D activities planned to be carried out with the cooperation of Gazi University, Ankara University and Middle East Technical University after the approval of CoHE.

- Great minds living abroad will be brought to Turkey

NÖROM aims to actively participate in many research projects with numerous national and international centers and laboratories meeting on the common ground of neuroscience and neurotechnology, to contribute to the employment of competent scientists and especially to the return of Turkish researchers living abroad to Turkey.

In addition, this center is planned to be a center of excellence that will turn the data to be obtained from biological and artificial systems through advanced methods into high value-added technological products such as computational neuroscience, deep learning, system and disease modeling, new device/prosthesis development for diagnosis and treatment, artificial intelligence applications and educational materials for the neuroscience ecosystem.

NÖROM will carry out studies to shed light on the mystery of the human brain, to define diagnostic and therapeutic biotargets, and to develop innovative devices, artificial intelligence applications, neurochips, and system/disease models with the help of the neuroscientific methods to be obtained from biological or artificial systems in the center. The center also aims to create an education platform for the neuroscience ecosystem. 

- Major projects will be carried out with the cooperation of universities

CoHE President Prof. Yekta Saraç noted that the arrangement, which came into force in April with the initiative of the New CoHE, would allow multiple leading universities to combine their powers, knowledge and experience and that the model would be a first in Turkey. Saraç said that the regulation was important for carrying out projects that require large investments and expenditures in priority and specific areas for the development of the country with the cooperation of universities, for sharing knowledge and experience, and for using public resources effectively and efficiently. Saraç emphasized that this regulation also introduced a collaboration model to Turkish higher education.

On the other hand, CoHE continues to carry out its new and innovative studies on R&D centers related to higher education that will generate added value in line with the development goals of Turkey.

Source: Anadolu Agency