Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi
Kalite Geliştirme ve Kurumsal İzleme Koordinatörlüğü
In order to bring our university, which has fallen to 61st place in the University Ranking Academic Performance (URAP) rankings based on the 2021-2022 data, to the deserved higher ranks and to achieve the goal of becoming a Research University, efforts are rapidly continuing. In addition to national goals, we also highly value the international recognition and reputation of our university. In this context, our main goals are to ensure the inclusion of our university in the rankings of the most prestigious rating agencies such as Times Higher Education (THE) and Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), which have not been evaluated before, starting this year, and then to move to the top ranks with the strategies developed thereafter. As an example of our efforts, on January 17, 2024, Professor Dr. Adem Kalınlı, the Corporate Data Management Coordinator of Middle East Technical University (METU), was hosted in the senate meeting room of our university. In the meeting attended by all relevant units, success stories of good practices were listened to in line with our goals, and our strategic action plans to be implemented in the near future were discussed and strengthened.
Our teams, formed six months ago, have examined all national and international rating agencies. Initially, the situation of our university was revealed by examining the data requested by these agencies, and different strategies were developed to strengthen our weaknesses. With the awareness of the importance of spreading the R&D culture throughout the institution, our units, especially our top executives, have received professional mentoring in research management.
Here are the Strategic Innovations Introduced to Our University in the New Period;
Academicians working in different units in the priority areas of Information and Communication Technologies, Agriculture and Food, Health, and Artificial Intelligence, both internationally and in our country, are brought together under a research group. Thus, it is ensured that academicians working in different disciplines but serving the same field come together under a multidisciplinary umbrella, enabling the presentation of more qualified and comprehensive large R&D projects. The international recognition of our research groups is being increased, and processes such as inclusion in high-budget project consortia, especially European Union funds, are organized by our teams.
Developing collaborations with ODTÜ, İTÜ, and Sabancı University, which represent our country best on international platforms, adapting success stories to our university, involving our academicians in joint projects with these universities, and carrying out mutual technology transfers are among our important goals. Various organizations, such as today's meeting, are organized to keep the communication channels between relevant units active.
One of the most important criteria for having Research University status is the amount of funding obtained from TÜBİTAK 1004 projects. Participation in TÜBİTAK 1004 projects, which can only be submitted by Research Universities, is provided through consortia established in our areas of expertise. In this context, information notes introducing our university's areas of expertise and teams are shared with the Research Universities candidate as the project manager, thus maximizing our university's representation in this field.
The Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit within our university regularly follows up on project calls that academicians can apply to individually or within a consortium and introduces these calls to academicians. In addition, mentoring services are provided to academicians during the project application process, supporting them in preparing for and completing the application process more successfully. In this way, academicians can prepare and complete their projects more effectively.
Regular project training sessions in various fields are provided by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit to academicians who are new to their academic careers or who do not yet have experience in project management. These programs aim to guide academicians in applying to project calls most suitable for their work and interests. In this context, meetings are organized where experienced academicians within the university can share their knowledge and authorities from funding organizations can present project applications. These meetings provide academicians with the opportunity to stay informed about current project opportunities and learn effective project writing techniques, contributing to the preparation of their projects.
In the new period, one of our most important priorities is to accelerate industry-focused R&D processes by developing close collaborations with national and international companies. Our university has a wide range of academicians who can contribute to different industrial areas. With the collaboration we offer, we aim not only to solve the problems of companies but also to develop innovative technologies that will increase the added value of products. Our university aims to be a center where stakeholders come together to produce high technologies. While our activities have strongly felt this effect in Çanakkale in the last six months, we have also implemented plans to spread our activities to the whole country in a short time. Teams and strategies have also been created to provide a working environment for close collaboration with industry not only in R&D partnership but also in areas such as required human resources training, social responsibility projects, and application to national and international funds.
By popularizing commercialization activities where academicians can commercialize the outputs of their projects, we aim to turn them into initiatives where they can solve the sectoral problems of our country and contribute to our country's economy. In this context, opportunities such as TÜBİTAK Individual Young Entrepreneurship (BİGG) program are regularly presented to academicians by experts. Also, the patent processes of academicians are closely monitored, and regular mentoring services are provided both in the application and post-application processes.
Through a program that pairs experienced academicians who have high experience in R&D project management with young academicians, we support young academicians in planning their project strategies most effectively and in preparing and applying for projects with an expert mentor in the field. This system, which we have just started to see positive results, is one of our most important innovations that will enable the rapid spread of the project culture throughout the institution and strengthen internal communication, helping us to achieve our goals.
Our management, which approaches the participation of academicians in R&D processes within the framework of professional research management, regularly monitors the performances of academicians contributing to this process and attaches importance to positive discrimination based on performance.
Plans are being made to turn our university into a center of attraction for