ArDek International Project Teams Meeting

The inaugural meeting of the “International Project Teams”—established by the Mersin University Research Dean’s Office (ArDek) to enhance the university’s international research capacity, encourage high-quality international project applications, and ensure that our faculty members play a more active role in international funding programs—was held on November 5, 2026.

The meeting took place at the Prof. Dr. Uğur Oral Culture Center. Attendees included the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Dr. Murat Ünal; the Mersin University (MEÜ) Research Dean, Prof. Dr. Caner Özdemir; Deputy Research Deans Prof. Dr. Yasemin Yuyucu Karabulut (ArDek International Projects Coordinator) and Prof. Dr. Seyhan Şahan Fırat; ArDek National Projects Coordinator Prof. Dr. Aylin Altan Mete; MEÜ Technology Transfer Office (TTO) Academic Unit Head Prof. Dr. Rükan Genç Altürk; TTO Coordinator Abdi Kurt; and various faculty members from departments including Economics and Administrative Sciences, Medicine, Pharmacy, Education, Communication, Science, and Letters.

“Expand Your Professional Network Through Projects”

MEÜ Research Dean Prof. Dr. Caner Özdemir stated that the initiative aims to raise awareness across the university regarding European Union and Horizon projects. Noting that academic career evaluations take into account publications, projects, citations, and patents, Prof. Dr. Özdemir remarked, “Projects are the most significant of these. When you undertake a project, the other criteria are naturally fulfilled. I encourage you to expand your professional network.” Highlighting the abundance of opportunities within European Union projects, Prof. Dr. Özdemir noted that a significant portion of these projects are in the field of health, while calls for proposals have also been announced in areas such as climate change, water, the environment, and artificial intelligence. Prof. Dr. Özdemir stated: “You have a project idea. With this idea, you can participate in international projects, or it could evolve into a TÜBİTAK project. The key is to implement a specific strategy for these projects. Let us focus our energy on projects that we have a strong chance of securing.”

Prof. Dr. Yasemin Yuyucu Karabulut, Vice Dean for Research and Coordinator of International Projects—who noted that the aim is to raise awareness about EU projects within the university—delivered a presentation covering topics such as “What is a European Project? Why is it Important?”, “Funding Programs,” “Research and Working Groups,” and “Support and Next Steps.”

Touching upon key aspects of EU projects—such as competition, grants, and partnerships—Prof. Dr. Yuyucu Karabulut emphasized that a partnership must include entities from at least three different countries. Explaining common terms encountered throughout the process, she defined them as follows: “Call: An announcement requesting projects on a specific topic, with a set deadline for submission. Work Programme: A two-year plan outlining which calls will be opened. Coordinator: The organization that manages the consortium and handles correspondence with the Commission. PIC: A 9-digit registration number assigned to an institution within the application portal. Grant Agreement: The contract signed for a proposal that has been accepted.”

European projects are not merely about funding; Stating that networks provide visibility and capacity, Prof. Dr. Yuyucu Karabulut emphasized that institutions aiming to become research universities must ensure their own visibility. Prof. Dr. Yasemin Yuyucu Karabulut explained, “Horizon Europe has three evaluation criteria: Excellence, which concerns the clarity of objectives, innovation, and the robustness of the methodology; Impact, which covers expected outcomes, dissemination, and societal or economic contributions; and Implementation, which encompasses the work plan, team structure, and risk management approach. Our goal is to raise awareness about international projects within our university. You can obtain information regarding calls for proposals, partner searches, project writing, and budget support from ARDEK and the TTO (Technology Transfer Office). You can access 80–90% of the calls on the ARDEK webpage and increase your visibility by registering on the ‘EU Funding & Tenders Portal’.”

Full Support for International Projects from the TTO

Prof. Dr. Rükan Genç Altürk, the Academic Unit Coordinator at the TTO, stated that one of the TTO’s core modules is the development of international projects. Noting that they provide support for project proposals submitted by faculty members as well as for the process of finding partners, Prof. Dr. Genç Altürk said, “We feature successful projects in our e-bulletin, which is published every three months. Our doors are open to anyone seeking information or support regarding projects.”

Delivering a presentation as part of the “Internationalization” program conducted by ARDEK, Mersin TTO Coordinator Abdi Kurt outlined the university’s efforts in international research and innovation projects, as well as the role of the TTO throughout this process. In the final part of the meeting, it was announced that working groups would be formed from within the International Project Teams based on their areas of expertise, and that these groups would be matched with relevant Horizon calls.