Turkey’s TABIP to work with top S. African institutions

JOHANNESBURG

Top-ranked South African universities and scientific institutions have expressed a willingness to cooperate with the Academic & Scientific Cooperation Project of Turkey (TABIP), the organization said Friday.

Emre Bayraktar, project expert at TABIP, told Anadolu Agency that a team from Turkey held several meetings with South African institutions this week on the possibility of scientific and research cooperation.

The TABIP team first visited the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, commonly known as Wits, where they held a productive meeting and both parties agreed on the possibility of cooperation, Bayraktar said.

“Wits stated that it would be a pleasure to have cooperation with TABIP, considering its possible support to be provided to the university,” he said.

The team also held meetings with Nelson Mandela University, the University of the Western Cape and the University of Johannesburg.

“Each university and institution that the TABIP team held a meeting with emphasized the importance of the activities on science diplomacy in producing value-added projects and the sustainability of bilateral relations between the two countries,” said TABIP project assistant specialist Furkan Koca.

The TABIP team together with its partner organization the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) also met with the Pretoria-based Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The TABIP project is part of the Yunus Emre Institute, which is hosted under the auspices of the Turkish Presidency.

The project is tasked with many goals, including engaging in science diplomacy activities, improving academic and scientific cooperation and enhancing the quality of human resources in Turkey.

During the TABIP team’s visit to South Africa, it also met with Turkish Ambassador Elif Comoglu Ulgen in the capital, Pretoria.

TABIP also participated in a career fair known as Talent for Biz which was held in Johannesburg.

The group made a presentation at the fair to introduce the TABIP project to South African students and academics.

Afterwards, the TABIP team interviewed PhD students and post-doctorate researchers who are interested in the Point of Contact Fellowship Program, the organization said.