This panel will be focused on the outcome and impact of Newton Fund activities as well as an insight to the future plans on the Programme. This panel particularly aims to focus on the private sector and to showcase two successful programmes’ outcomes with concrete project examples. Newton Fund Programme Manager Pinar Celikcan will moderate the discussion between representatives from TUBITAK and the Royal Academy of Engineering. Finally, one case study from “Leaders in Innovation Fellowship” Programme and a project from “Industry Academy Partnership Programme” will be presented by the project owners.

Case Study 1: Leaders in Innovation Fellowship Programme
Case Study 2: Industry Academy Partnership Programme

Alpaslan Mete KARACA

Head of International Cooperation Department, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, TUBITAK

Alpaslan Mete KARACA received his bachelor’s degree from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Middle East Technical University (METU) in 2007, and completed his master studies at METU, Department of Industrial Engineering between 2014-2015. He began his career in 2007 as Cell Planning and Optimisation Engineer at Turkcell Communication Services. On November 2015, he started working at the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK). He was then transferred to the International Cooperation Department of TUBITAK as Head of Bilateral and Multilateral Relations Division in May 2018. In June 2019, he was assigned as the Director for International Cooperation Department.

Shaarad Sharma

Senior Manager – Engineering X, Royal Academy of Engineering

Shaarad leads Engineering X - an international collaboration model which brings together some of the world’s leading engineers and problem solvers to tackle the great challenges of our age. He oversees the design and delivery of 5 global, multi-faceted programmes in areas such as Safer Complex Systems, Safer End of Engineered Life, Education, SDGs and Pandemic Preparedness. Shaarad holds a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University, USA, and is a Policy Fellow at the University of Cambridge. Before his Masters Shaarad worked for five years implementing public administration and policy reform advisory projects in South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa.

Dr. Ozge Akbulut

Sabanci University, Associate Professor and Co-founder of Surgitate

Ozge Akbulut is an Associate Professor at Sabancı University, Istanbul. She received her B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering at Sabancı University in 2004. Her PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2009) focused on cost-effective fabrication of biomolecular devices and surface science. She continued her studies as a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University, (2009–2011) on developing tools/techniques for resource-limited settings. Her main research interests are silicone-based composites and rheology modifiers for additive manufacturing and the cement industry. She also cofounded a company, Surgitate, on design and fabrication of tactile surgical training platforms, in 2014.

Prof. Aysegul Aksoy

Middle East Technical University, Case Study 2: Industry Academia Partnership Programme- Transforming Systems Through Partnership Programme

Prof. Dr. Ayşegül Aksoy is an academic faculty at the Department of Environmental Engineering of the Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) since 2001. She holds B.S. (1991, ODTÜ) and M.S. (1994, ODTÜ) degrees in environmental engineering, and a Ph.D. (2000, University of Virginia) in civil engineering. She served as a teaching and research assistant at the University of Virginia (1996-2000, USA), post-doctoral researcher (2001, University of California at Davis, USA), and visiting researcher (2015-2016, Stanford University, USA). She also acted as a steering committee member of the Department of Geodetic and Geographic Information Technologies at ODTÜ (2003-2012). Her research interests include environmental systems analysis and modeling, integrated water management, and remote sensing of the environment.