Namık Kemal Pak – Obituary
The Science Academy member Durmuş Ali Demir penned an obituary for Namık Kemal Pak, Science Academy member we lost in November 2015.
To read the article please click.
İlhan Tekeli Awarded Jury Prize, Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards
The Science Academy member İlhan Tekeli was awarded the Jury prize at Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards 2016.
This year the awards main focus was “New Centers in Turkey: Economy, Education, Art and Peace in Cities”.
The Special Jury Prize was given to İlhan Tekeli for his work on urban and regional planning, planning theory, macro-geography, migration geography and political behavior, history and theory of local administrations in Turkey, urbanization and urban policy, economic policy, the economic history of Turkey, and urban and community studies.
German Mathematical Societies’ Joint Open Letter
German mathematical society (Deutsche Mathematiker-Vereinigung), the German geoscientific societies (Dachverband Geowissenschaften), and the German society for mathematical logic and philosophy of science (Deutsche Vereinigung für Mathematische Logik und für Grundlagenforschung der
Exakten Wissenschaften) have sent a joint open letter to the attention of the Prime Minister of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoğlu.
To read the letter, please click.
The Science Academy Report on Freedom of Expression, Science and Social Development
A number of events which have taken place in 2016 in Turkey points to serious interferences with freedom of expression & academic freedoms much needed by scientists.
In order to draw public attention to this matter, The Science Academy has issued a report of Freedom of Expression, Science and social Development on April 18, 2016
Please click to read the report in English.
The Academy has previously made also two announcements on the state of freedem of expression in January and in April.
The Science Academy’s Second Declaration on Freedom of Expression
Freedom of Expression, Law, Democracy, Social Development and Power
In view of the fact that a group of academics (“Academics for Peace”) who signed a petition are facing pressures including dismissal and imprisonment, we would once again like to underscore citizens’ and academics’ freedom of expression, and right to express their opinions. These rights and freedoms constitute the sine qua non of democracy and the rule of law. The free sharing of opinions and information serves as a guarantee for social consensus and a healthy and democratic dialogue among all citizens. Academics, who are expected to produce and disseminate fresh information …
BAGEP 2016 Award Ceremony (14.04.2016)
BAGEP 2016 Award Ceremony was held on April 14, 2016 at the METU Conference Center.
The winners (see below) received their awards. For photos from the ceremony please click.
BAGEP 2016 Winners
| Alper Açık | Özyeğin University | Psychology |
| Özgür Akarsu | İstanbul Technical University | Physics |
| İbrahim Semih Akçomak | Middle East Technical University | Science and Technology Politics |
| Bülent Akgün | Boğaziçi University | Chemistry |
| Nuray Akın | Özyeğin University | Economy |
| Selim Aksoy | Bilkent University | Computer Engineering |
| Hakan Altan | Middle East Technical University | Physics |
| Erchan Aptoula | Okan University | Computer Engineering |
| Gizem Arıkan | Yaşar University | International Relations |
| Selim Erdem Aytaç | Koç University | International Relations |
| Sreeparna Banerjee | Middle East Technical University | Biology |
| Alp Bassa | Boğaziçi University | Mathematics |
| Bilge Baytekin | Bilkent University | Chemistry |
| Özgür Birer | Koç University | Chemistry |
| Ayşecan Boduroğlu | Boğaziçi University | Psychology |
| Ayşegül Buğra | Koç University | Law |
| Seymur Cahangirov | Bilkent University | Physics |
| Barış Coşkunüzer | Koç University | Mathematics |
| Hümeyra Çağlayan | Abdullah Gül University | Physics |
| Betül Çelebi Saltık | Hacettepe University | Medicine |
| Özge Çevik | Cumhuriyet University | Biochemistry |
| Muhammed Kasım Diril | Dokuz Eylül University | Biology |
| Fabienne … |
Feryal Özel Wins Guggenheim Fellowship
The Guggenheim Foundation has awarded The Science Academy member Feryal Özel a 2016 Guggenheim Fellowship.
Feryal Özel’s personal webpage: http://xtreme.as.arizona.edu/~fozel/
The list of current Guggenheim Fellows: http://www.gf.org/fellows/current/
NATURE Editorial – Power of the Pen (24.03.2016)
Scientists must unite to stop Turkey from removing the right to freedom of expression.
When he labelled outspoken academics as terrorists, Turkey’s increasingly authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was probably not thinking of Voltaire’s eighteenth-century philosophical maxim: “To hold a pen is to be at war”.
Erdoğan sent shivers down the spines of those who care about human rights by declaring on 14 March that those who support terrorists are as guilty as those “who pull the trigger”, and …
Support From International Academies on Freedom of Speech
We have already shared The International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies (IHRNASS) statement on freedom of speech in Turkey. (please click)
On January 21, 2016 ICSU (International Council of Scientific Unions) shared their letter to President Tayyip Erdoğan regarding freedom of speech in Turkey. (please click)
On February 1, 2016 ALLEA (All European Academies) shared their support regarding freedom of speech issues in Turkey. (please click)
The Science Academy’s Report on Homeopathy
An unscientific disease treatment method: Homeopathy
Recently we have been worried to see certain universities, and even faculties of medicine, promote and host meetings on homeopathy in their campuses.
Although devoid of any active medical substance, homeopathic treatment is seen to replace medical methods in certain cases, putting the lives of patients at serious risk.
To read the full report please click.