The Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya held a meeting with the pilot university projects coordinators and the project team. Rector Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya, Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kurt, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kazankaya, vice deans, pilot university project coordinators, and the project teams participated in the meeting that took place on February 24, 2022, at the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture Meeting Hall.
Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kurt, who made the opening speech at the meeting, gave information about the latest situation in pilot university projects and stated that the project coordinators would share the stages they had reached about the projects. Stating that the journey of pilot university projects they started in 2016 progressed successfully, Kurt said that Kırşehir Ahi Evran University had made significant contributions to its region and with its pilot university projects. Emphasizing that the studies on pilot university projects continued uninterrupted, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kurt added that they had come together to discuss the latest situation in the projects.
Rector Karakaya: “Pilot University Projects Bring Hope to Turkey”
After the speech of Vice-Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Kurt, Rector of KAEU Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya took the floor and stated that the academic staff of our university had been working devotedly in pilot university projects for 6 years and that they had made significant contributions to Turkish Higher Education in the field. Rector Karakaya, emphasizing that it was very important for Kırşehir Ahi Evran University to carry out pilot university projects and to reveal the values existing in the region, continued as follows: “Pilot university projects brought a new perspective to Turkish Higher Education. In this sense, we have created a new field called Advanced Greenhouse Technology. The point we have reached in the projects is very good, this is achieved thanks to the qualifications of you, my esteemed professors. Being involved in projects that you specialize in is very important in terms of carrying out projects and putting them into practice. The works here also provide hope for our country.”
Rector Karakaya: “As a Country, We Need New Ideas and Projects”
Stating that the projects had made significant progress thanks to the academic staff who were experts in their fields, Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya emphasized that it is important for academics to carry out their scientific studies in a way that would benefit our country and our citizens. Rector Karakaya, who added that the studies needed by our region and our province should be supported with scientific studies and projects, said that they would continue to support academicians in their scientific studies. Expressing that the point reached in pilot university projects was also very important, Rector Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya noted that our country needs new ideas and projects and that as a higher education institution, it was necessary to constantly produce new projects and ideas.
After the speech of the Rector Prof. Dr. Vatan Karakaya, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kazankaya made a presentation on the “Walnut Focused Growth and Development Project”. In his presentation, Kazankaya mentioned the aims of the project, the works carried out in 2021, and plans to be carried out in 2022 and explained that they were in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, TAGEM, Kırşehir Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, DSI and the General Directorate of Meteorology in the Walnut Focused Growth and Development Project. Referring to the theses and publications made on the project studies, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kazankaya said that the project would continue constantly.
After the presentation of the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kazankaya, Project Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tamer Yavuz made a presentation on the “Forage Production Project”. In the presentation, Dr. Yavuz mentioned the works carried out within the scope of the project in 2020-2021 and said that they obtained 153.6 tons of roughage on an area of 1,567 decares with a total of 11 farmers in these years. Providing information about the 2021-2022 production season, Assoc. Dr. Tamer Yavuz informed that in this period, they would produce roughage with 30 farmers on a total area of 2,748 decares. Noting that they had cultivated on an area of 495 decares in the application areas of our university and on an area of 5,267 decares in the farmer application areas, since the day they started the Roughage Production Project, Dr. Yavuz explained that they have made significant progress in the Roughage Production Project.
After the presentation of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tamer Yavuz, Project Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakan Başak made a presentation on the "Clustering Project in Thermal Greenhouses" and explained the aims of the project, the work done and the project plans for the future. Noting that they had projects that started in 2021 and continue in 2022, Başak said that the projects to be carried out within JISTUAM in 2022 were "Determination of Rootstock Potential of Salt Tolerant Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) Hybrids for Watermelon" in the scope of TUBITAK, 1001 - The Scientific and Technological Research Projects Funding Program, "The Effect of Rootstocks of Allopolyploid Citrullus on the Phytochemical Content of Watermelon Fruits” on the scope of TÜBİTAK, 1002 - Short Term R&D Funding Program and “Research on Propagation, Cultivation, Conservation. and Natural Habitat Characteristics of Some Wetland Plants which Grows in Turkey and have Ornamental Plant Potential” on the cope of TÜBİTAK, 1001 - The Scientific and Technological Research Projects Funding Program.
After the presentation of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakan Başak, Project Coordinator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeynel Başıbüyük gave a presentation on “The Project of Supply of Geothermal Resource in Terme Region and Transmission to Project Sites”. In his presentation, Dr. Başıbüyük gave information about the aims of the project and the works were done before 2021.
The meeting ended after the mutual exchange of ideas on pilot university projects.