Prof. Dr. Marek Pawełczyk, Rector of the Silesian University of Technology—one of Poland’s leading institutions of higher education—visited our university. The visit, which marked a new phase of the strategic partnership initiated at the 1st Turkey-Poland Rectors’ Forum, the visit marked a new phase in the strategic partnership. Discussions focused on European Union joint projects, student and faculty exchanges, joint degree programs, and academic collaborations planned to be implemented initially among six faculties.

Prof. Dr. Marek Pawełczyk, Rector of Silesian University of Technology—one of Poland’s long-established institutions of higher education—visited our university along with his academic delegation. The delegation included Prof. Dr. Sebastian Werle, Vice Rector for Research and International Cooperation; Prof. Dr. Tomasz Bradecki, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture; Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering Prof. Dr. Barbara Klemczak, Dean of the Faculty of Transportation and Aviation Engineering Prof. Dr. Grzegorz Sierpinski, and Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Prof. Dr. Marcin Adamiak.

Continuation of the process that began in Ankara

Rector Pawełczyk and his delegation were welcomed by our Rector, Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik; our Vice Rectors, Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya, Prof. Dr. Güleda Engin, our Research Projects Coordinator Prof. Dr. Cengiz Kaya, and our International Relations Coordinator Dr. Murat Turhan. This visit, which serves as a continuation of the strategic partnership initiated at the 1st Turkey-Poland Rectors’ Forum, organized by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), and further developed through our Rector’s visit to Poland, served as a continuation of this strategic partnership. During the visit, comprehensive discussions were held aimed at further strengthening the collaboration between the two universities through concrete projects. 

As part of the visit, discussions were held to develop the strategic partnership between the two universities. Evaluations were conducted regarding European Union joint projects, student and faculty mobility, the implementation of joint degree programs, and the launch of joint academic and scientific studies initially involving six faculties.

Joint efforts will be made in project applications

During the meetings, a roadmap to ensure that the strategic partnership between the two universities yields concrete results was discussed in detail. While jointly evaluating upcoming international project calls, common strategies were established for accessing international funding sources, particularly from the European Union. At the same time, plans were made to conduct project application processes simultaneously and to coordinate joint project teams. 

Laboratories and innovation infrastructure under review

The progress made to date by the joint research groups established within the two universities was comprehensively analyzed. While processes were reviewed to ensure more efficient execution of ongoing work, assessments were also conducted regarding new research areas and collaborative working models. 

The visiting delegation toured the YTÜ Central Laboratory, the Industrial Design and Prototyping Center (ETP), and YTÜ Yıldız Technopark to assess the infrastructure capabilities. The goal is to enable the shared use of the two universities’ research infrastructure in a complementary manner.

A strategic alliance to create global impact

As two strong institutions with Research University status, the goal is not only to develop academic relations between Turkey and Poland but also to build a high-quality R&D ecosystem that will make an impact on the global academic stage. In this context, high-impact scientific publications, value-added patents, international research projects, and interdisciplinary innovation initiatives are among the top priorities.

The ongoing discussions with Silesian University of Technology are viewed as one of the most important steps toward a genuine strategic partnership that will enhance both universities’ research capacity, strengthen their international visibility, and produce tangible scientific outcomes.

Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik: We Are Strengthening Internationalization Through Strategic Partnerships

Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik, expressed his satisfaction with the visit and stated that the strong communication established between the two universities will lay the groundwork for multifaceted and sustainable academic collaborations in the future.

In his remarks, Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik said:

“I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Marek Pawełczyk, Rector of Silesian University of Technology, for his kind visit and his valuable remarks about our university. As Yıldız Technical University, we aim to strengthen our internationalization efforts not only through student and faculty mobility but also through joint research, knowledge sharing, and strategic academic collaborations.

I sincerely believe that the strong communication we have established between our two universities will lead to sustainable joint projects and long-term collaborations.”

“We aim to strengthen academic collaborations through concrete projects”

Prof. Dr. Marek Pawełczyk, Rector of Silesian University of Technology, attended the graduation ceremony of our Faculty of Shipbuilding and Maritime Sciences as part of his visit and addressed our students.

In his speech, Prof. Dr. Pawełczyk stated that the strong rapport he had established with our Rector, Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik, laid the foundation for a strategic partnership between the two universities, and noted that they view Yıldız Technical University as a reliable and strong academic partner.

Prof. Dr. Pawełczyk explained that they had come to Turkey with a large delegation to get to know our university better, strengthen academic collaborations through concrete projects, and expand areas of joint research. emphasized their belief that joint efforts in the fields of education, research, and internationalization would yield significant benefits for both universities.

In his remarks, Prof. Dr. Pawełczyk said:

“After Rector Prof. Dr. Eyüp Debik visited our university with his delegation and we met on various occasions, he sincerely invited me to visit your university. A strong friendship has developed between us, and our collaboration is growing stronger every day. The purpose of this visit is to get to know your university closely, establish new academic contacts, evaluate the details of our collaboration, and establish a long-term, strong partnership.

Since there are so many universities in the world, we select our strategic partners with great care. I wholeheartedly believe that Yıldız Technical University is among our strategic partners and that together we have laid the solid foundations for long-term collaborations.”

The Strategic Alliance Between Yıldız Technical University and Silesian University of Technology

The 1st Turkey-Poland Rectors’ Forum, organized by the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), served as the platform where the first seeds of the strategic partnership between YTÜ and Silesian University of Technology were sown.  Following the initial contact at the forum, a delegation from Yıldız Technical University paid a working visit to Silesian University of Technology with the aim of combining academic and scientific potential. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during this visit went beyond being a mere goodwill document to form the basis of a direct action plan.

In the initial phase of the collaboration between the two universities, the goal was to bring together researchers with strong academic expertise in engineering and advanced technology into joint working groups. To this end, online meetings were held to analyze the research capacities of both universities and form teams to conduct joint scientific research. 

Furthermore, in line with the academic expertise of both universities, an agreement was reached to establish multidisciplinary project teams that will prepare joint applications for national and international funding sources, primarily Horizon Europe, TÜBİTAK, and bilateral international cooperation programs. The goal is to develop sustainable R&D projects between the two research universities and to make more effective use of international funding sources.