President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a written message to the inauguration ceremony of the education campus.

 

"We are establishing the infrastructure required to educate human resources that will make groundbreaking achievements in science, culture, arts and sports while we take firm steps in line with the 2023 objectives of our country. This modern campus is the indicator that shows we value our children's education as well as our token of gratitude to Aziz Sancar," said Erdoğan in his message.

 

Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar said in his speech during the ceremony that he made many scientific inventions and raised many scientists adding that, "Türkiye has a role in all of my studies. I am honored to say that I never lost my love for Türkiye and the Turkish nation."

  

He also stated that he will work in an effort to raise Turkish scientists. This is how I will pay my debt to Türkiye and the Turkish world.

  

Minister of National Education Mahmut Özer expressed his happiness to open the education center named after Aziz Sancar.

 

Noting that his Ministry has been making investments in an effort to raise scientists like Sancar, Minister Özer went on to say:

 

"We have witnessed an important transition in education especially in the last 20 years. We have carried out important education campaigns in order to construct education institutions in every corner of the country. The number of classrooms in the country increased from 200,000 to 850,000 in the last 19 years and number of teachers increased from 500,000 to 1.2 million during the same period. Schooling rate reached 90 percent. Number of students enrolled in preschool education increased from 200,000 to over 2 million. Schooling rate in higher education rose from 14 percent to 45 percent. All these efforts aimed at increasing equal opportunity in education. I would like to express my gratitude to

 

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who allocated the largest share of the budget to education."

  

Noting that the Ministry will continue to support teachers to improve their professional skills and encourage them to attend training programs, Özer also mentioned that intellectual property rights is among the top priority issues of the Ministry of National Education.

 

"In the last 20 years, the annual average of number of products registered by the Ministry was 2.9. In the last year, number of registered patents, useful models, brands and designs produced by schools affiliated to our ministry reached 1,532. I believe that Türkiye would be a strong country in the world and a leader in its region as long as we decrease success differences among schools and continue to invest in education," added Özer.  

 

Meanwhile, Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank stressed that his Ministry has been organizing research project awards in order to encourage secondary and high school students to study future technologies.

 

Noting that the number of applications to TÜBİTAK awards increased by 80 percent when compared to the previous year, Varank said, "37,283 students developed science projects as a part of these awards and many of them attended international science Olympics."

 

All high school students will have the opportunity to carry out scientific studies and involve in research and development activities in the Aziz Sancar Education Campus.

 

The education campus consists of two buildings including a science and arts center, kindergarten, science high school and student dormitory for female students.