Turkey’s Presidency of Defense Industries (“SSB”)
recently stated that the Covid-19 outbreak, which has been declared as a
pandemic by World Health Organization has started to show its effects on many
industries worldwide and it requires many measures to be taken nationally. In
this regard; the application, evaluation and all similar
processes related to the Defense Industry Researcher Training Program (“the
Program”) are postponed until May 1, 2020 due to the pandemic.
The Program is a researcher training program initiated by SSB in
order to structure the participating company’s projects in line with medium and
long-term research and development strategies to be carried out in prioritized
areas determined by SSB. As of 2018, the Program includes 31 universities and
35 defense industry companies since it was first implemented with the
cooperation protocols signed in October 2011. Students who receive postgraduate
education within the scope of the Program, work on the project accepted in
cooperated defense industry organizations and the researchers continue their
education in universities while working on the project in the relevant industry
organization under conditions and fields determined by the protocols of the
Program.
The purpose of the program is; (i) in line with the priorities of the defense industry sector and
with the guidance of the SSB, making the information transfer between defense
industry companies and universities more systematic; (ii) structuring postgraduate dissertations at universities for the
research and development (“R&D”) needs of companies and directing them to
the priority areas of the defense industry; (iii) training of students who will receive postgraduate education
as qualified R&D personnel in the field of defense with the opportunities
provided by defense industry companies.