Turkish-Japanese science university opens in Ankara

A university established by the Japanese and Turkish governments held an opening ceremony at its campus in Ankara on Wednesday.

At the Turkish-Japanese Science and Technology University, about 100 Turkish students will study artificial intelligence (AI), earthquakes and other fields with support from the Japanese government, including the provision of research equipment.

During the ceremony, Yasutaka Nakasone, Japanese state minister for foreign affairs, said that the presence of Turkey, a member of the Group of 20 and of NATO, is growing year by year, and that he hopes the university will form a new bridge connecting Japan, Turkey and the world.

Due to issues related to its location and research fields, the university took 13 years to open, after then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and then-Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the current president, agreed on its establishment in 2013.

In its first year, the university will offer doctoral courses in AI digital technology and earthquake disaster science, as well as four-year undergraduate engineering programs in areas such as environmental and materials science.

The new university will also conduct joint research projects with the Institute of Science Tokyo.