KTU Rector Prof. Dr. Hamdullah ÇUVALCI and Turkish Aerospace Inc. (TAI) General Manager Prof. Dr. Temel KOTİL signed a cooperation protocol in April at the TAI Center in Ankara. The Opening Ceremony of the laboratory planned to be established within the scope of the protocol was held with the participation of the President of the Council of Higher Education (CoHE), Regional University Rectors, and the Provincial Protocol.

Academic and administrative staff and many guests attended the ceremony, including Trabzon Governor İsmail USTAOĞLU, President of CoHE Prof. Dr. Erol ÖZVAR, CoHE Executive Board Members Prof. Dr. Naci GÜNDOĞAN and Prof. Dr. Hüseyin KARAMAN, Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Murat ZORLUOĞLU, Rector of Trabzon University Emin AŞIKKUTLU, Rector of Giresun University Prof. Dr. Yılmaz CAN, Rector of Avrasya University Prof. Dr. Füsun TERZİOĞLU, Rector of Bartın University Prof. Dr. Orhan UZUN, TAI Deputy General Manager Dr. Özkan ALTAY, and Provincial Gendarmerie Commander Adem ŞEN.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and Thermal Management Systems (IHATERM) laboratory established by our university in partnership with TAI, Rector Prof. Dr. Hamdullah ÇUVALCI emphasized that the opening of the IHATERM Laboratory is an important step aimed at contributing to increasing university-industry cooperation. He continued his words as follows: "This laboratory aims to contribute to the needs of TAI in the field of aviation for academics and students of the university. The laboratory focuses on developing effective cooling technologies to support the high capabilities and processor capacities of our National Combat Fighter Aircraft, which is being developed as the 5th generation fighter aircraft, and other similar aircraft. Furthermore, considering our country's progress in unmanned aerial vehicles technologies, the laboratory also focuses on the development of anti-icing technologies. Within the scope of its collaborations with TAI, Karadeniz Technical University conducts studies in areas such as aerostructures, additive manufacturing, and composite materials.

This new laboratory at Karadeniz Technical University will be an important platform for academics and students who will conduct high-quality studies in the field of defense and aerospace. These studies will become a great success to meet the needs of our country in defense and aerospace, one of the country's priority areas."

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Dr. Özkan ALTAY, Deputy General Manager of TAI, said, "We aim to make universities a natural part of our R&D ecosystem. With this awareness, we signed a protocol on Cooperation in Higher Education with the CoHE in June 2022, and we are taking important steps to improve University-Industry cooperation. Today, we have gathered here to inaugurate the sixth of the University Laboratories that we have initiated to reach our students and professors within our 23 Research Universities. This Laboratory will be a bridge between KTU students and professors and TAI, and I would like to inform you that we will always provide the necessary support as TAI in order to ensure that the studies to be performed are carried out efficiently and effectively on behalf of both our university and our defense industry."

Trabzon Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Murat ZORLUOĞLU made a speech at the ceremony stating that the cooperation between KTU and TAI will both contribute to UAV technology and the city. Then Trabzon Governor İsmail USTAOĞLU took the floor and emphasized the importance of graduate studies and collaborations in industry and technology to educate young scientists for the country's future. Stating that the dreams of young people would build the country with the signed protocol, USTAOĞLU concluded his speech by drawing attention to domestic and national defense.

CoHE President, Prof. Dr. Erol ÖZVAR, attended the opening ceremony and made a speech at the ceremony. In his speech emphasizing the importance of cooperation between universities and industrial organizations as CoHE, he noted the following statements: "Increasing the cooperation between universities and industry is one of the most prioritized goals of Higher Education. A cooperation protocol was signed between TAI and CoHE last year as a sign of this goal. With this cooperation, it was decided to open R&D-oriented laboratories in our universities that will work together with TAI. As the Council of Higher Education, we believe that cooperating and working together with the components of the National Defense Industry will contribute to our universities. The opening of this laboratory today is one of the best examples of this. By bringing together the students and researchers of KTU with the expert staff of TAI, we will realize important collaborations and projects. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the emergence of this valuable protocol."

Following the protocol speeches, Prof. Dr. Hamdullah ÇUVALCI presented a plaque to Dr. Özkan ALTAY on behalf of Prof. Dr. Erol ÖZVAR and Prof. Dr. Temel KOTİL. The ceremony ended with a cocktail after the ribbon cutting for the “TAI UAV Technologies and Thermal Management Systems Laboratory".

 

Previous Next