In the Second Century of the Turkish Republic: Universities and Scientific Developments in the First Century

İbrahim ORTAŞ, iortas@cu.edu.tr

"My Spiritual Legacy is Science and logic" (Mustafa Kemal Atatürk)

1-Anstract

Happy 100th anniversary of the Republic. It is worthwhile to analyze the achievements and developments of the first 100 years. In the world we live in, it is known that progress is driven by quality education, science, and research at universities. A society without universities cannot produce knowledge and science, and it will no longer have a chance to achieve development and prosperity in the world. In this context, analyzing the state of higher education in the first 100 years of the Republic will be extremely beneficial in shedding light on the future.

The Republic did not have institutions for education and the training of qualified individuals in the pre-existing system, which relied on agriculture for production and had a monarchy-based political structure. During the Ottoman Empire period (1299-1922), religious education was provided through institutions such as madrasas, and despite various challenges, many individuals were trained, especially in military fields. However, due to missing out on the Renaissance during that period, progress in basic sciences could not be achieved, and the lack or absence of original scientific studies resulted in a lag behind the West. Atatürk played a pioneering role in the transformation of education in the early years of the Republic. With the establishment of the Republic, scientific education began to be provided all across the country under the banner of educational unity through the Law on the Unification of Education (Tevhid-i Tedrisat Law) dated March 4, 1924, which brought primary and secondary education under state control, administered by the Ministry of National Education. After this process, efforts to spread the standardization of education to all parts of the country began.

The process of the Turkish Republic (1923-Present) and its founding leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk aimed at creating a secular and modern education system by analyzing the developments and sociological structure. Quality education and research institutions were established with a focus on agriculture, health, and technology. These institutions supported scientific research and encouraged knowledge production.

At the beginning of the first 100 years of the Republic, Atatürk's emphasis on education for civilization began with the statement "The truest guide in life is science." Additionally, Atatürk stated, "For success in life, for prosperity, for life in general, the most genuine guide is science. If you seek guidance from others, you will be led astray, but if you seek guidance from yourself, you will find your way" (Atatürk, 1924; S.D. II).

2. Role of the Republic and Atatürk in Education and Scientific Development

These developments made it possible to establish infrastructure that had not been established during the Ottoman period, including institutes and research organizations. In the early years of the Republic, due to a shortage of teachers, assistance was provided from those who could read and write in the countryside and in village schools. In addition to education in rural areas, a purposeful and programmatic education model was developed in different regions of the country to provide education and vocational skills to rural children through Village Institutes, which aimed to increase production and also develop students' artistic talents.

Village Institutes: As a continuation of Atatürk's educational reforms, the Village Institute education method was initiated in rural areas, which were suitable for Turkey's sociological structure and agricultural focus. 21 different Institutes were established in 21 different regions. Village Institutes provided theoretical and practical modern education to intelligent children in rural areas, contributing to the spread of scientific awareness. At the same time, they fostered the development of artistic aspects. However, the institution created by the graduates of the Institutes, who were conducting activities to increase production in rural areas, was sacrificed during the Cold War.

Women's Education: Atatürk attached great importance to the education of women and not only granted them the right to vote and run for office but also emphasized their access to scientific education. He stated his importance for women's education as follows: "Our women will have knowledge and science and will pass through all the educational levels that men have passed. Women will work alongside men in all walks of life, being each other's supporters and helpers" (Atatürk, S.D. II. p. 85-86).

Establishment of People's Houses: After the establishment of the Republic, People's Houses were established all over the country to spread the values brought by the Republic to the wider public. These houses were meant to bring the light of modern science to the society's history, literature, fine arts, folklore, and other areas. Unfortunately, the cultural development, which had an important role in the development of social culture, was misused for political purposes and eventually dismantled.

Establishment of Higher Education Institutions: Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, as a visionary leader, foresaw Turkey's modernization and scientific development early on and aimed not only to catch up with the world but to surpass it in university education and technological developments. In this regard, he sent promising young individuals abroad in needed fields and invited foreign experts and professors to establish systems and mechanisms. During Atatürk's era, many new higher education institutions were established. This allowed more students to access higher education and increased the number of scientific studies.

Establishment of Universities (University Reform): Turkey's development in higher education and science and the systematic understanding of the university began with the Republic, and Atatürk played a significant role in this area. In Atatürk's time, universities were restructured. In the early years of the Republic, a significant portion of efforts was devoted to education. Turkey recognized the legal entity of Istanbul Darülfünun (Istanbul University) on April 21, 1924, with Law No. 493. In 1930, Atatürk visited the only university in the country at the time, Istanbul Darülfünun (now known as Istanbul University), and sat down with the students to discuss the reforms that the Republic had initiated and would implement (Tunay, 1964). He observed that many of the professors at Darülfünun did not embrace the principles of the Republic, including the language reform, and that they were out of touch with global developments. Based on a report prepared by Swiss Prof. Dr. Albert Malche in 1932, which pointed out that most professors only delivered lectures, did not conduct scientific research, and the source materials used for teaching were translations (Malche, 1932), Atatürk initiated the university reform in 1933. This reform aimed to modernize higher education on a scientific basis. Within this framework, Istanbul University was established on August 1, 1933, and later, foreign scientists, primarily from Germany, were granted full autonomy in higher education institutions, and Turkish was adopted as the language of instruction. Thanks to Atatürk's education reforms, universities and higher education started to reach international standards in an unprecedented way.

The establishment of Istanbul and Ankara universities with the invitation of German scientists introduced a sense of autonomy in higher education in Turkey. The Faculty of Language, History, and Geography, as well as the Turkish Language and Turkish History Institutions, are important research institutions in the field of social sciences and higher education. Similarly, the High Agricultural Institutes and Agricultural Research Institutes were developed as educational institutions to advance the country's agriculture.

Over time, Turkish higher education institutions and universities have grown in terms of physical size and quantity but have experienced a decline in quality. Unfortunately, due to the Cold War period and subsequent military coups in Turkey, qualified scientists were held responsible, and university autonomy was weakened, making universities more like government offices. After the 1980 military coup, the policy of establishing a university in every province without proper infrastructure led to the transformation of universities, which were meant to produce knowledge through research and debate, into essentially schools.

Science and Technology Policies: Turkey was unable to advance the comprehensive development policies it initially adopted during the early years of the Republic. In the early 2000s, strategic documents like the 2023 Vision were published. However, increasing economic problems and internal political uncertainties hindered the development and continuity of a comprehensive science and technology policy.

In Turkey's history of scientific development, the thoughts and reforms of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk had a significant impact. Atatürk, as the founder of the Turkish Republic, aimed to modernize the country in various fields and bring it up to Western standards. Science and education played a central role in this modernization.

As a continuation of the Republic's science policies, TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) and other scientific institutions were established in 1963, contributing to holistic development. TÜBİTAK conducts research in fundamental science and technology areas at Research Centers and provides budget support for projects in natural and engineering sciences.

International Scientific Collaboration Policy: Turkey has engaged in various agreements and projects, particularly European Union (EU) programs, to increase international scientific collaboration. After World War II, in 1954, significant basic science projects such as the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) began. However, Turkey couldn't provide the necessary support and attention to this nuclear and space program that Turkish scientists held in high regard. Currently, Turkey is a partial member of CERN by its own request, but it remains distant from many scientific developments. Notably, Turkish scientists' involvement in the Atlas and CMS detectors is commendable.

Despite various incentives aimed at attracting foreign scientists to Turkey, the country has lost many of its highly qualified individuals trained in a few select universities to brain drain. Today, Turkish universities are falling behind on a global scale in terms of scientific research (Ortaş, 2022).

The Current State of Universities:

Today, there are 208 universities in Turkey, serving approximately 183,000 academic staff and 8 million students. Since the 1980s, Turkey has been emphasizing the importance of participating in scientific research, aligning with the quality research and publication policies of Western universities. Especially from the 2000s onwards, scientific publications and research projects have increased. However, due to inadequacies in basic sciences and the underdeveloped technological structure of the country, Turkey couldn't establish a research infrastructure and mechanism dedicated to industrial research. Turkey currently contributes about 1% of the world's scientific publications and research outputs, ranking in the top 20 countries in the world. However, it still hasn't found a place among the top 500 universities worldwide, and it's known for the successes of Turkish scientists abroad. In fact, Turkey's first Nobel Prize in science was awarded to Prof. Dr. Aziz Sancar, who received his education at Istanbul University, the country's first university, and conducted research abroad.

In conclusion, despite the opportunities provided by the Republic and Atatürk's vision for modernization and development, it is believed that Turkey has not been successful enough in achieving the institutionalized goals and objectives of the Republic. Turkey must return to its original settings from the years 1923-1940, a time when it achieved success in development and modernization in almost every field. It should focus on providing high-quality education, fostering awareness, and nurturing individuals who are familiar with their environment and nature from early childhood to high school, and who receive a scientific, logic-based education. Turkey needs to establish a comprehensive national science policy and strategy that is followed consistently to avoid falling behind in the modern era. It should prioritize the realities of science and universities. Autonomy, motivation, and a universal approach should be established in scientific and technological production. Above all, universities should be encouraged to produce science and technology with qualified academic staff and administrations.

3 Conclusion

What Should Be Done?

Turkey should return to the concept of autonomous and research-oriented universities that it successfully adopted from German scientists in the 1960s. While the quantity has increased, the quality has significantly declined. The focus should be on encouraging universities to produce science and technology with their autonomous structures, motivated by universal standards. In addition, universities must develop high-quality academic staff and administrators, equipped with 21st-century skills. TÜBİTAK should expand its budget and resources to create an environment for strategic projects. TÜBA (Turkish Academy of Sciences) should operate with more autonomy and conduct non-partisan work on brainstorming, proposals, and solutions regarding the country's scientific, technological, and other issues.

The State Planning Organization, which was initiated in the 1960s, should be reestablished, and expert-led, goal-oriented planning should be implemented. The country needs to adopt programs that set goals and objectives based on its resources, like the decisions made at the Economic Congress. Space research should be given top priority. Planning and development must be revisited to ensure sustainable agriculture and nature conservation based on sustainable principles.

Turkey's abundance of air, water, soil, diverse plant and animal life, and sunlight are sufficient for food security. As Yaşar Kemal stated, "These fertile lands will lead to the development of good people." If Turkey's people are equipped with high-quality human resources, the second century of the Republic will propel the country to a brighter future.

Happy 100th anniversary of the Republic! May the coming centuries see even more success, productivity, and meaningful contributions to humanity.

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