“Together We are Developing the International Research and Innovation Ecosystem”

The Global Research Council (GRC), which aims to bring together all heads of funding agencies worldwide and of which Türkiye is a member, held its 11th Annual General Assembly Meeting in the Hague, Netherlands.

Represented by TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, Türkiye participated in the meeting, where 175 participants from 81 research organizations serving in 63 countries came together to discuss common issues and explore potential global solutions. The meeting was held under two main themes: "Rewards and Recognition Initiative" and "Climate Change and Climate Change Initiative"

In his assessment of the meeting, Prof. Dr. Mandal stated, "The meeting evaluated the steps to be taken and possible collaborations to enhance the global research ecosystem."

During the session on "Rewards and Recognition Initiative" Prof. Dr. Mandal expressed "As TÜBİTAK, and for a better evaluation system, we shared our institutional experience and we learned from the experiences of other countries."

Highlighting the critical role of interdisciplinary research in overcoming complex challenges that require diverse expertise and perspectives, Mandal explained, "We emphasized the necessity of interdisciplinary research that combines multiple disciplines such as natural sciences, engineering, health, social sciences, and humanities to comprehensively address these challenges and provide innovative solutions."

In the session on "Climate Change and Climate Change Initiative," TÜBİTAK President emphasized the need for collaboration between scientists, researchers, research-funding organizations, and the innovation ecosystem in combating climate change and the importance of involving the societal component through effective communication. He stated, "We discussed the significance of incorporating local governments, regional authorities, and policymakers into research and implementation activities to make the efforts more inclusive and functional. Considering the different challenges faced by different regions in the global climate crisis, we emphasized the adaptation of research funding policies to better respond to their specific needs and the development of multilateral and international collaborations, taking into account socio-economic factors such as a country's level of economic development, technological capacity, and available resources. Together we will continue to learn and develop!"

During the meeting, participants were divided into five groups and engaged in detailed discussions. As a result of the meeting, the "Statement of Principles on Recognising and Rewarding Researchers" was approved, which consists of nine articles designed to develop new ways of evaluating research and researchers. For details, see: (1)

Additionally, the "Statement of Principles and Practices on Climate Change Research Funding" was accepted during the meeting. For details, see: (2)

TÜBİTAK President Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal also held bilateral meetings during the conference. He met with the heads of funding agencies from Saudi Arabia and Indonesia to enhance bilateral collaboration and had discussions with representatives from Oman, Egypt, Chile, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.