February 17, 2025

CoHE President Erol Özvar announced that the Science Communication Office was established under the Council of Higher Education

Speaking at the opening, Özvar said that they believe scientific knowledge should not remain only at campuses, classrooms, laboratories, academic journals or conference halls.

Özvar said, “Today, we are launching the Science Communication Office under the Council of Higher Education. By establishing the Office, we aim to announce the scientific knowledge produced at Turkish universities with a loud and strong voice both to the Turkish public and to the world. With science communication, we aim to build a Science Homeland whose borders will be formed by the academic works of Turkish scientists around the world. We aim to strengthen the bonds between our scientists and create a strong union from this bond.”

He emphasized that the main goal of the Science Communication Office is to support the science communication activities carried out by universities and to bring the research of scientists to a wider audience and stated that science communication will also play a critical role in combating the increasing misinformation.

Özvar pointed out that Science Communication Offices to be established at all Turkish universities will make important contributions to the internationalization strategy. “Under the leadership of the President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, our country has opened its doors fully to scientists and students who are victimized in Ukraine, Palestine and all over the world. We will continue to welcome them,” he said.

Stating that they have developed new projects within the Science Communication Office in order to emphasize the importance Tükiye attaches to scientific and technological developments and to make scientists more visible on international platforms, Özvar said: “The first of these is a platform that will bring together Turkish scientists around the world. With this great cooperation called Bilim Vatan, which will include the inventory of Turkish scientists, Turkish scientists around the world will have the opportunity to join forces and work together."

CoHE President Erol Özvar said that they will encourage universities to share their scientific, cultural and social studies with the public more in the coming period. Özvar said, “In order to ensure that our scientists are closer to the society, we plan to implement projects that will facilitate the public's direct access to science. In this context, we are launching a series of public seminars known as 'Science Café' around the world. In these events, scientists will meet directly with our citizens in public places such as cafes, coffee houses, and ferries, where they can be intertwined with the society, and will explain scientific issues in a conversational atmosphere. This event will make it possible for individuals from all segments of society to access science, while enabling our scientists to directly answer the issues that the public is curious about.”

Özvar, also addressed the representatives of the press units of the universities attending the meeting and said, “You will not only make news, you will strengthen the brand value of our country with science.”

- During the meeting, the mission of the Science Communication Office was emphasized-

The meeting was attended by Erol Özvar, President of the Council of Higher Education, İdris Kardaş, Coordinator of the Center for Combating Disinformation of the Directorate of Communications, CoHE Executive Board members and representatives from all universities.

In his speech, CoHE Executive Board member Prof. Naci Gündoğan emphasized that science is the cornerstone of the development of humanity. “However, in order for science to find its true value, it must be transferred in an accessible and understandable way in interaction with society," he said.

İdris Kardaş, Coordinator of the Center for Combating Disinformation Directorate of Communications, stated that science communication is extremely valuable and very functional in order to explain science in a way that everyone will understand.

ITU Vice Rector Prof. Lütfiye Durak Ata, who made a presentation on New Approaches and Future Strategies in Science Communication, said: “I believe that we will work together on science communication while expanding the borders of Türkiye's science homeland.”

In her presentation on the Power of Universities in Disseminating Scientific Knowledge, GTU Vice Rector Prof. Elif Damla Arısan stated that the communication of science is one of the key points of the sustainability of future works.

ITU Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Emrah Acar, who made a presentation on the Turkish Scientist Network Project, talked about the emergence of the idea of creating a digital platform that creates a global inventory of Turkish researchers and their skills in order to benefit more effectively from the expertise of Turkish scientists spread all over the world.

In his presentation on Science Communication Practices, METU Faculty Member Prof. Yunus Eren Kalay emphasized the importance of communicating science in the appropriate language to all those outside the academic world, such as financiers, business world, teachers, press, service sector, rule makers, especially children, students, society, NGOs.