GTU Rector Prof. Görgün Speaks At Open Access Panel

GTU Rector Professor Haluk Görgün made a speech titled "The Role of Universities in Open Science and Accessing Knowledge" at the 6th National Open Access Conference and OpenAIRE2020 Workshop, which was organized at İzmir Institute of Technology and participated by scholars from around Turkey. 

Speaking at the workshop, where topics such as open science and open access practices, strategies, OpenAIRE services were discussed, Görgün provided information about GTU's perspective for open science, touching upon the historical progress of knowledge sharing. Pointing to the fact that the topic of open science is now considered within the framework of open campus with open access to scientific journals, course resources, course materials and courses, and laboratories, Görgün commented: "Our university recommends and encourages easy access by other scholars to a certain amount of the studies produced through Dergipark system, which has been established within ULAKBİM and which is internationally accessible.

"Knowledge must be turned into human and economic gain"

Remarking that GTU has undertaken a strategic mission in turning knowledge into human and economic gain, the absence of which has been felt in Turkey for a long time, Görgün said: "The rendering of knowledge common and easily accessible particularly by the national industrial enterprises, ensuring the sustainability of these processes through support and joint project mechanisms, and triggering many new scientific studies as a result are among our goals." 

"The language of open access must be Turkish"

Making mention of opportunities GTU provides for open access and the steps taken in the way of expanding these, Görgün continued: "Since the knowledge produced can easily be converted into industrial products in countries such as China, the publications that will be offered in Turkish are believed to be partly beneficial in that they will ensure the products remain within the country. Not publishing the studies that are of a nature that cannot protected by patents, or publishing them only in national platforms may help protect technology in part. These processes should be supported with intense support for patents, and the easy transfer of scientific studies into IP rights must be ensured. Open access and open science can thus be more beneficial to the country, as long as the mechanisms with which they can contribute to the country's economy and humanity are supported and controlled. It is predicted that otherwise, the importance of the studies conducted will be low for the country, nevertheless they will have a positive effect from the world's perspective. GTU is continuing to conduct strategic analyses for the country's long term needs in this field.