ODTÜ Climate Center Established

METU Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Verşan Kök said that METU Climate Centre was established to maximise the scientific work of faculty members engaged in climate change issues and bring them together under one roof. METU Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Verşan Kök stated that the university has over 40 research centres and laboratories in different fields and disciplines. Kök reported that they are nearing completion of efforts to consolidate these centres under one roof at METU Research Park, noting that the centre was established within the university campus for developing interdisciplinary projects and increasing the contribution of the institution's research activities to industry and society, with support from the Presidency's Strategy and Budget Office research infrastructure project fund.

Saying they will open the majority of METU Research Park in November this year, Kök continued as follows;

"It will be a major centre where both current and forward-looking research will be conducted. The building, which will contain 73 offices, 78 laboratories, 10 conference halls, a 126-person multipurpose hall, a 60-person seminar area, an exhibition area and a library area, will have a total enclosed area of 23,500 square metres." Emphasizing that the Research Park will enable different disciplines to conduct research in interaction with each other in the same environment, Kök said, "Each centre will learn from other centres and create different research areas that will guide their future research. As METU, we had started this planning with the METU Design Factory and brought together faculty members and students from different disciplines. The Research Park will create an environment where new interdisciplinary approaches directed towards the future will emerge."

Expressing that they will also establish a new centre structure within the Research Park, Kök made the following remarks;

"Climate change has reached a level affecting all humanity in recent times. In this context, our Climate Centre will be located in the newly established Research Park at our university. Climate change is an issue that requires different disciplines to work together. We have established METU Climate Centre with the aim of maximising the scientific work of our faculty members working on climate change issues and bringing them together under one roof. At the centre, our faculty members whose priority areas are climate and sustainability will be able to carry out their work in harmony and cooperation around a specific strategy, and we aim to maximise the contribution they can make to the country's obligations and priorities. METU Climate Centre aims to contribute to the development of scientific, realistic and reliable climate and sustainable development strategies and policies needed by the country and society at national and international level." Kök noted that at the centre, faculty members from many different disciplines will work on climate research that will produce critical results, providing the following information: "From basic research aimed at understanding climate change and its impacts, to developing pioneering technologies that will stand out in combating climate change, to work aimed at adapting cities and society to climate change, nearly 70 faculty members from different disciplines will conduct scientific research. As METU, with support from EU funds, especially from projects we have taken on climate and sustainable development, we aim to bring our work in this field more to the fore and make it more visible at both national and international level with the help of this centre."   Source