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.

By Maral Sahin|27/04/2016|Comments Off

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 …

By Maral Sahin|18/04/2016|Comments Off

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 …

By Maral Sahin|15/04/2016|Comments Off

Feryal Özel Wins Guggenheim Fellowship

The Guggenheim Foundation has awarded The Science Academy member Feryal Özel a 2016 Guggenheim Fellowship.

Feryal Ozel

Feryal Özel’s personal webpage: http://xtreme.as.arizona.edu/~fozel/

The list of current Guggenheim Fellows: http://www.gf.org/fellows/current/

By Maral Sahin|07/04/2016|Comments Off

NATURE Editorial – Power of the Pen (24.03.2016)

The Nature editorial Power of the Pen – 24 March 2016 (click for the pdf)

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 …

By Maral Sahin|24/03/2016|Comments Off

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)

By Maral Sahin|24/03/2016|Comments Off

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.

By Maral Sahin|22/03/2016|Comments Off

Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Istanbul Conference Video

The Science Academy welcomed world-renowned astrophysicist Prof. Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, in the first ever of its recently launched Annual Lectures. At the conference held on 4 February 2016 at Boğaziçi University, Dame Jocelyn gave a lecture on pulsars, which she discovered in 1967, in the context of relativity and gravity.

Please click to watch the video:

By Maral Sahin|01/03/2016|Comments Off

Follow Up on The Soma Mining Disaster (Şebnem Düzgün & Evren Yaylacı)

A paper on the follow up of the Soma Mining disaster by H. Şebnem Düzgün and Evren D. Yaylacı, both from the Department of Mining Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.

Please click to read “An evaluation of Soma underground coal mine disaster with respect to risk acceptance and risk perception”.

By Maral Sahin|18/02/2016|Comments Off

Jocelyn Bell Burnell in Istanbul (4.02.2016)

The Science Academy welcomed world-renowned astrophysicist Prof. Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell, in the first ever of its recently launched Annual Lectures. At the conference held on 4 February 2016 at Boğaziçi University, Dame Jocelyn gave a lecture on pulsars, which she discovered in 1967, in the context of relativity and gravity.

Please click to read journalist Reyhan Oksay’s article.

By Maral Sahin|18/02/2016|Comments Off