UK and Turkey Launch ‘2015 Year of Science and Innovation’
British and Turkish officials will come together on 24 March 2015 to launch the ‘2015 UK-Turkey Year of Science and Innovation’.
The British Ambassador to Turkey Richard Moore; the Director of Knowledge & Innovation, Strategy & International at the UK Department of Business Innovation & Skills Jeremy Clayton; Deputy Undersecretary of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation Yunus Emre Karaosmanoglu and the President of TUBITAK Prof. Dr. Yucel Altunbasak will come together on 24 March 2015 to launch the ‘2015 UK-Turkey Year of Science and Innovation’. A delegation from UK universities will also be accompanying the Director of Knowledge & Innovation, Strategy & International at BIS to establish contact with their counterparts from Turkish academia.
The launch event in TUBITAK will start at 10:00 on 24 March 2015 with opening remarks from the British Ambassador, Richard Moore; the Director Knowledge & Innovation, Strategy & International at the Dept. of Business Innovation & Skills Jeremy Clayton; Deputy Undersecretary of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology Yunus Emre Karaosmanoglu; and the President of TUBITAK, Prof Dr Yucel Altunbasak.
The 2015 UK-Turkey Year of Science and Innovation is the result of a joint initiative planned by the relevant institutions in the UK and Turkey, including the British Embassy, Department of Business Innovation and Skills; Turkish Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology and TUBITAK.
It will further boost our bilateral partnership and extend the long scientific cooperation between the UK and Turkey. The aim of the initiative is to promote mutual awareness of excellence in science and innovation, while strengthening and increasing collaboration between the two countries and fostering relationships between academic communities. The initiative will also provide an opportunity to share best practice in science based policy making, and increase trade and investment links between UK and Turkey.
TUBITAK and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills have already launched the Katip-Celebi – Newton Fund in Turkey for joint research and innovation activities between Turkey and the UK until 2019. This funding now acts as a new source to strengthen collaboration in the area of Science and Innovation between Turkey and the UK. The UK allocated £20million for the Katip Celebi - Newton Fund from 2014. Turkey committed to provide equal funding, reaching £40 million in total. The collaboration under the Katip Celebi –Newton Fund led to the opening of 7 calls in the last 6 months, with awards to 40 researchers, worth £1.6 million.