Turkish Embassy in US hosts meeting of European Scientific Diasporas in North America

​​​​​​​By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C. hosted the 10th annual meeting Friday of the European Scientific Diasporas (EURAXESS) in North America.

Sedat Onal, Turkish ambassador to the US, said science has always been the "driving force" for human progress.

While the world experiences a transformative age and needs to tackle global issues like climate change and pandemics, Onal said science has become "more relevant" among scientists, diplomats and decision-makers.

"We attach importance to the mobility and interaction among members of the scientific community and researchers," he said, adding that Türkiye "highly" values research and innovation and it is a participating country in the EU's Horizon Europe program – the bloc’s key funding program for research and innovation.

Türkiye is hosting five service centers in three of its largest cities -- Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, he said.

"With these service centers, we aim to assist researchers from around the world by helping them make informed decisions about their career paths, providing them with information on research jobs and funding opportunities in our country, but also practical information concerning professional and daily life in our country," said Onal.

He said that there are also approximately 9,000 Turkish students in the US studying at different levels of higher education that constitute a "very important component" of the Turkish American community in the US.

- Navigating opportunities in a transatlantic context

Dr. Derya Buyuktanır Karacan, regional coordinator of EURAXESS North America, said with nine worldwide hubs, EURAXESS provides free services, tools and resources to support international research collaboration and innovation.

"Our mission for today is very clear. We are here to engage in discussions, share experiences, strengthen the connections enabling European scientific diasporas to thrive," she said.

Karacan said the annual meeting contributes to the hearing of perspectives of different US institutions, diaspora networks, researchers and universities.

The meeting was also attended by professor Zeliha Kocak Tufan, education counselor of the Turkish Embassy; professor Pamir Alpay, vice president for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship at the University of Connecticut and Dr. Florent Bernard, science counselor, delegation of the European Union to the US.

During panels, participants found the chance to discuss navigating opportunities in a transatlantic context.

EURAXESS is a pan-European initiative delivering information and support services to professional researchers regardless of their career stage.

Backed by the EU and member states, it supports researcher mobility and career development, while enhancing scientific collaboration between Europe and the world.