The ‘Project Launch Meeting’ was held by the Üsküdar University R&D and Innovation Policies Directorate. At the highly anticipated meeting, where innovative projects were highlighted, Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, emphasized that projects are shaped by imagination and teamwork.
Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör touched upon the contribution of scientific production to humanity, while R&D and Innovation Policies Director Assoc. Dr. Müge Ensari Özay highlighted a 150% increase in student projects. Noteworthy project presentations in the fields of science and social sciences received great appreciation.
The ‘Project Launch Meeting’ was held at Üsküdar University NP Health Campus, İbni Sina Auditorium. Senate members also attended the meeting.
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan: “Individuals who succeed in dreaming can produce projects”
Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, who delivered the opening speeches of the project launch meeting, drew attention to the importance of the climate of possibility and project culture. Tarhan said; “Firstly, individuals who succeed in dreaming can produce projects. After an idea comes to mind, this idea has an incubation period. The idea incubates. We also have an incubation center. The incubation in minds is important here. It incubates. After incubating, it emerges unexpectedly while you are busy with something else. For example, Archimedes thought of it in the bath. Newton thought of it under an apple tree. In a brilliant idea, there is a sudden birth, an incubation. Teamwork is also important. The individual remains 'I' but also becomes 'we'. Being 'we' while remaining 'I' is important. That is, one will be part of a team but will also have their own special area, their own autonomy. We need to be able to do such teamwork.”
Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör: “We enjoy as we produce”
Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Dr. Nazife Güngör, who stated that the completed works will touch humanity when transformed into production; “The further we advance in scientific production, the more we disseminate what we discuss here, and the more we transform what is done at the university into production, the more we will touch humanity. We will also strengthen our mission to serve humanity. We enjoy as we produce, and our production energy increases as we produce. As we transform the results of this into various awards and outcomes, this turns into an even greater production energy.” she said.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Ensari Özay: “We have a 150% increase in student projects”
R&D and Innovation Policies Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Müge Ensari Özay drew attention to the increasing project applications in the last 3 years. Özay stated; “We see that the total number of student and academic projects is 265. We observed that the number of academic projects is 79. Especially in 2023, we had a 150% increase in student projects. This year, we again have another 150% increase. Currently, we see that over 150 project applications have been made. 15 of our brands have been registered, and 12 patent applications were registered in the 2023-24 academic year. We also see that we have 4 registered utility models.”
Noteworthy project presentations took place
Prof. Dr. Nesrin Kartal Özer, Faculty Member of the Department of Medical Biochemistry (English) at Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine, shared her project presentation titled “Effect of NRF-2 activation on cholesterol-induced in vitro lipid accumulation and in vivo NASH models” with the participants.
Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Cihan Taştan, Director of TRGENMER at Üsküdar University, presented his project titled “In Vitro and Ex Vivo Investigation of Next Generation Antisense Xeno Nucleic Acid Approaches Targeting Intron 7 to Increase Smn2 Gene Inclusion in Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Disease”.
Interesting projects from natural sciences and social sciences…
Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Özgün Deniz Yoldaşlar, Faculty Member of the Department of History, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Üsküdar University, presented his project titled “Murad Molla Collection: Formation Process and Paratextual Elements” to the participants.
Prof. Dr. Sevim Işık, Faculty Member of the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics (English) at Üsküdar University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, presented her project titled “Investigation of the Therapeutic Efficacy of Topoisomerase IIbeta Overexpressing Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes in a 5XFAD Transgenic Alzheimer's Disease Mouse Model”.
Dr. Öğr. Üyesi Elvan Çiftçi, Faculty Member of the Department of Mental Health and Diseases at Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine, presented her project titled “Evaluation of Genotype-Phenotype Relationship in Autism and Bipolar Disorder, which are Neuropsychiatric Diseases” to the participants.
Emre Kaan Şanverdi, a 3rd-year Computer Engineering student at Üsküdar University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, and Mustafa Şanverdi, a 6th-year Medical Faculty student at Üsküdar University, presented their project titled “Virtual Anatomy and Surgical Simulation MetaMedicine Laboratory in the Meta World”.
After the completion of the project presentations, the meeting concluded with a group photo session.