MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF EU AFFAIRS

 

  

    Faculty Development Program (FDP)

   Faculty Development Program (FDP) is a university network promoting cooperation between universities. The universities participating in this program function underneath a flexible modular framework in keeping with the contracts they sign expressing their consent and mutual goal to contribute to academic human resources development and carry out research activities.

  The cooperation between universities within this program allows the universities that demonstrate comparatively higher capability in one area to disseminate that knowledge onto other universities. Thus, universities are able to utilize the infrastructure they have more efficiently and avoid repetitive, inefficient use of valuable resources and investment. The main objective of FDP is to improve the quality of research and education, and facilitate transfer of knowledge among universities within Turkey, leading to the ultimate goal of creating a strong and vigorous Turkish Research Area by using distance education methods.

Within this Faculty Development Program model, any university that has the capacity to administer doctorate programs admits into the program the mutually selected research assistants of the universities that have expressed a need for such cooperation for training. In this program, research assistants having passed the doctorate proficiency exam and started working on their thesis, have the option of going to a research institute abroad for a short term to continue their research. Having received their Ph.D. degrees, these young academicians return to the university with which they have signed a compulsory service contract, and are provided with a grant given to an infrastructure project to continue with their research and also train other research assistants there. This infrastructure project is prepared together with the research assistant’s academic advisors during the final stage of his Ph.D. work and is presented to the State Planning Organization (SPO). The project, supported by the SPO, allows for the provision of a solid support directed towards research and education in his home university as well as having a boosting effect for the research assistant to continue his research on his return. In the long term, the young academician provided with the infrastructure to continue his research will eventually train new researchers creating a snowball effect and thus contribute to the efforts of increasing the number of academicians that the Turkish higher education system urgently needs.

 FDP Universities

Ø Akdeniz University 

Ø Anadolu University                                          

Ø Atatürk University    

Ø Balýkesir University                     

Ø Cumhuriyet University                          

Ø Çanakkale Onsekizmart University  

Ø Erciyes University        

Ø Fýrat University                            

Ø Gaziantep University         

Ø Gaziosmanpaþa University  

Ø Harran University                                 

Ø Ýnönü University                                           

Ø Kocaeli University                                

Ø Mersin University 

Ø Muðla University                      

Ø Ondokuz Mayýs University                      

Ø Orta Doðu Teknik University         

Ø Selçuk University                       

Ø Süleyman Demirel University         

Ø Trakya University                       

Ø Uludað University                                

Ø Yüzüncü Yýl University                          

Ø Zonguldak Karaelmas University          

Goals of FDP

 

        Ø By fostering collaboration between universities

Ø To educate and train highly qualified faculty with international research experience in multidisciplinary areas,

        Ø To generate S&T that the country is in need of,

Ø To ease the way for the partner universities to benefit from the experiences of the university that is strong in a specific area,

Ø To use the already existing infrastructure in universities more efficiently to minimize repetitions and thus decrease redundant investments,

Ø Help contribute to the creation of the Turkish Research Area

FDP – Ph.D. Priority Areas

Ø Disasters, Risk and Security

Ø Europe, the Balkans, Central Asia, Middle East and Mediterranean Studies

Ø Information and Communication Technologies

Ø Biotechnology

Ø Natural Resources, Disasters and Environmental Management

Ø Education and Human Resources

Ø Advanced Materials

Ø Globalization, Governance and Sustainable Development

Ø Defense Industry, Aeronautics and Space

Ø Basic Sciences

Working Principles of FDP

 

FDP works in conformity with protocols signed by the Rectors of participating universities, keeping in mind their individual needs and structures. Framework protocols are composed with the full consent of the participating universities.The universities in need of faculty are expected to pass on the information concerning the areas in which they are short of faculty to the university to conduct the Ph.D. programs. The FDP students carry out their education at the host university he is admitted. The rules and regulations of the host university are binding for the FDP students during their education. The faculty of FDP Universities are expected to join their strengths by employing the FDP research assistants they have or through conducting joint research in extensive research projects

 

FDP – Procedures

 

    Ø A framework protocol is signed between the participating universities and an Executive Board is formed.

    Ø The university with the capacity to conduct a Ph.D. program in any given area, accepts the students to the program following a selection stage which is done together with the university in need.

    Ø Those research assistants sign a Compulsory Service Contract which clearly states that they have to go back to their home universities upon the completion of their studies.

    Ø Ph.D. theses are selected from the multidisciplinary priority areas predetermined for FDP Research assistants who have been successful in the Ph. D. Qualifying Exam and have started their thesis studies, go to a research institute in Europe and continue with their research there for a short period.

    Ø Upon their return from aboard and completion of their Ph.D., these research assistants are given seed money for an infrastructure project.

    Ø The aim is to help new Ph.D. students and get on with their research at the home university they have signed a Compulsory Service Contract with.

 

For detailed information:    

METU Research Coordination Office

http://research.po.metu.edu.tr

http://www.oyp.metu.edu.tr