Supported by TİKA, the International Congress for Young Academics from the Turkic World Has Begun

The congress held at the Nation's Library of the Presidency of Turkey by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities, and Young Scholars Union has begun.

Held by Young Scholars Union at the Nation's Library of the Presidency of Turkey from December 23 to 24, 2021 to discuss the current status and future of higher education in Turkic states, the “International Congress for Young Academics from the Turkic World” was attended by Yavuz Selim Kıran, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey; Rahman Nurdun, Vice President of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA); and Sayit Yusuf, Vice President of Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB); as well as many academics from Turkey and abroad.

In his speech, Yavuz Selim Kıran, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, stated that they have been striving for the welfare, stability, and well-being of those living in Turkic Republics since these states gained independence 30 years ago.

Stressing the importance of the congress for sharing Turkey’s scientific capacity with Turkic Republics, Kıran said, “We believe that scientific development is essential for strong economic development and steady political empowerment. Therefore, we should do what suits us and preserve our strong unity as Turkic Republics for future generations and strengthen our position in the world day by day in the light of science.”

Rahman Nurdun, Vice President of TİKA, stated that political, economic, and regional cooperation between Turkic states improved after these states regained independence.

Reminding that TİKA has been developing projects in Turkic Republics and Central Asia for many years, Nurdun said, “We adopt an understanding of sincere and equal partnership by focusing on people and never consider our projects as means of obtaining concessions.”

Nurdun stressed that they have implemented more than 6,000 projects in Central Asian countries in the past 30 years. He said, “The projects implemented are the most concrete signs of the importance attached by our country to ensuring cooperation with the countries in the region. Especially after 2002, the growth of the Turkic world and our country allowed us to take stronger and more concrete steps.”

Sayit Yusuf, Vice President of YTB, noted that there were great difficulties in student exchange between Turkic Republics in the past. He said, “There has been a huge change since 1992. While our relations with Turkic Republics were romantic in the past, we have high-level political relations with these states now.”

Stating that they did not only aim to strengthen Turkey, Yusuf said, “We will produce together with the Turkic world and share what we have with each other.”

Yunus Kocabıyık, Chairperson of Young Scholars Union, said that the purpose of the congress was to bring together universities and young academics who actively engage in educational activities in Turkey and the Turkic world around a common intellectual goal and increase the interaction and cooperation among them.

80 academics from 15 countries attended the two-day congress.