A Protocol on Cooperation in Scientific Research and Publications was signed between Yıldız Technical University and Istanbul Aydın University. The protocol aims to foster cooperation between the two universities in the areas of joint R&D projects, scientific publications, the sharing of research infrastructure, joint applications for national and international funding, and graduate research.

Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik, Rector of Yıldız Technical University (YTÜ), and Prof. Dr. İbrahim Hakkı Aydın, Rector of Istanbul Aydın University (İAÜ), signed the Scientific Research and Publication Cooperation Protocol to strengthen collaboration between the two universities in the fields of scientific research and publication.

Under the protocol, the universities plan to carry out joint R&D projects, mutually utilize laboratory and research infrastructure, submit joint applications to national and international funding programs, and increase the exchange of knowledge and experience among faculty members and researchers.

Academics will work together on joint projects

The protocol stipulates that academics from both universities will participate in the research projects to be carried out under its framework. It is planned that each project will include at least one academic from each university and one project coordinator from each institution.

The application and evaluation processes for the projects will be conducted by the universities’ Scientific Research Projects Coordination Units in accordance with their own regulations and guidelines. The projects to be funded will be determined through a joint evaluation by the relevant units of both universities.

The two universities may establish a joint research budget pool as part of this collaboration. Projects seeking support from this pool will be evaluated by a jury comprising representatives from both institutions, at least four expert panelists, and at least one external advisor from a university not party to the protocol.

Q1 or Q2 publication target

One of the notable conditions of the protocol is that joint scientific studies must result in high-quality academic publications. Under joint projects, at least one academic publication bearing the names of both universities must be prepared and published in a journal listed in the Q1 or Q2 tiers of the Scopus or Web of Science indexes.

For projects carried out as a result of joint applications to national and international funding programs, it is also expected that this publication requirement will be met by the project’s completion. The goal is thus to ensure that the collaboration does not remain limited to the project development phase but produces tangible outcomes that translate into international scientific publications.

Research infrastructure will be made available for joint projects

Within the scope of this collaboration, the laboratories, research infrastructure, and expertise of both universities will be made available for use in joint projects. To facilitate researchers’ access to the equipment and infrastructure they need, arrangements regarding terms of use and fees may be established between the parties.

The goal is to ensure that the universities’ existing research infrastructure is utilized more effectively within the scope of joint scientific studies.

Joint graduate studies and academic mobility will be supported

The protocol also allows for the establishment of joint graduate programs within the framework of current Higher Education Council legislation and relevant regulations. The goal is to incorporate the academic expertise of both universities into graduate education processes and to develop joint thesis projects.

In addition, exchanges of researchers, thesis students, and faculty members will be possible. Thus, the goal is to ensure that scientific interaction between the two institutions is sustainable not only on a project basis but also within educational and research processes.

Through this protocol, the goal is to bring together the two universities’ research infrastructure, academic human resources, and scientific expertise through joint efforts; and to increase the number of high-quality academic publications, joint projects, graduate research, and intellectual property outputs.